Long Wharf Theatre Presents TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS

Long Wharf Theatre, under the leadership of Artistic Director Jacob G. Padr n and Managing Director Joshua Borenstein, presents Tiny Beautiful Things, based on the book by Cheryl Strayed; adapted for the Stage by Nia Vardalos; co-conceived by Marshall Heyman, Thomas Kail and Nia Vardalos; and directed by Ken Rus Schmoll, from February 13 through March 10, 2019.

The press opening will take place on Wednesday, February 20 at 7:30 PM.

Tickets start at $30 and can be purchased by calling 203-787-4282, visiting longwharf.org, or visiting the box office. Performances occur at Long Wharf Theatre on the Claire Tow Stage in the C. Newton Schenck III Theatre (222 Sargent Drive, New Haven, CT). The 8 PM performance on February 21 performance offers open captioning.

The cast includes Cindy Cheung (Sugar), Paul Pontrelli (Letter Writer #3), Elizabeth Ramos (Letter Writer #2), Brian Sgambati (Letter Writer #1). The creative team includes Kimie Nishikawa (set design), Arnulfo Maldonado (costume design), Yuki Nakase (lighting design), Leah Gelpe (sound design), Megan Smith (production stage manager), Amy Patricia Stern (assistant stage manager), and Calleri Casting (casting).

Nia Vardalos' open-hearted adaptation of Cheryl Strayed's bestselling novel Tiny Beautiful Things dramatizes the anonymous online advice column Dear Sugar (written by Strayed), which served as a beacon of hope for thousands of letter writers around the world yearning for wisdom, empathy, and above all, love. () I remember reading and writing things that we don't normally say to people in the public space," said Strayed. "I always think of the 'Dear Sugar' column as, like, therapy in the town square."

Literary Manager, Christine Scarfuto, said Tiny Beautiful Things gets to the raw, beating heart of what it means to be human, and is a celebration of empathy, compassion, and life-affirming love.

What's extraordinary is that she [Strayed] was able to tap into the quivering human crisis at the center of each specific circumstance and really talk about that, said director Ken Rus Schmoll. She winds up speaking to a part of all of us, not just to the individual letter-writer. Sometimes she gives very practical advice, but it's always in the context of these larger questions. I think the other thing is she is very flawed and has been through so much. She has thought deeply about life, she doesn't put herself on a pedestal; she's speaking from a place of wisdom, from the fertile, thriving garden of her life. Schmoll also noted, So putting this deeply empathetic play onstage is an opportunity to not only relate to it but to engage with its tenets. There's something compelling about being in the presence of great compassion and great kindness and having nowhere to go.

For more information, visit longwharf.org or call 203-787-4282.