Reviving Ophelia

By Cherie Bennett

Directed by Patrick M. Strain

Based on the book “Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls” by Dr. Mary Pipher, one of the seminal nonfiction books of our time, this is the gripping story of four teenage girls battling the corrosive influences of popular culture and each searching for the personal North Star that will guide her home.

Jill is a Native American girl adopted by white parents. Her drinking, truancy and bad attitude are turned arround in a very unexpected way. Allie, a pastor's daughter, faces a crisis of faith at a mother-daughter book club when her friend Lia loses her mother to cancer. The scene between Lia and her boyfriend, Alex, harkens back to Hamlet's "Get thee to a nunnery!", as Alex exposes the scary part of his personality which he carefully keeps hidden. Beautiful Dawn approaches high-school graduation with the realization that she's not prepared for anything but attracting guys; her solution is to attempt 18 Jello shots to celebrate her 18th birthday.

Playwright Bennett, specifically chosen by Dr. Pipher to adapt her work, deftly leavens the drama with humor, tracing the intertwining lives of these four girls from first grade through middle school, and then through high school to graduation and young adulthood. This play has toured urban, suburban and rural schools with equal success.

Sponsored by Eleanor Drury in memory of Anne Zimmerman.

Portage Center for the Arts, 301 East Cook Street, Portage, WI 53901, 608-742-5655. Open Wed-Fri 1-6, Sat 10-3. portagecenterforthearts@frontier.com, http://www.Portagecenterforthearts.com

Produced by Zona Gale Young People's Theater at the Portage High School Theatre, 301 E. Collins Street, Portage.

Performances: September 1, 2012

Performance Times: Friday, September 27 at 7:30pm and Saturday, September 28 at 7:30pm

Ticket Prices: Adults/$10 & Students/$6

Call 608-742-5655 for reservations or more information, or go to www.Portagecenterforthearts.com. Tickets are also available at the Portage Center for the Arts, 301 East Cook Street, Portage. Open Wed-Fri 1-6, Sat 10-3.