PICNIC to Bring Small-Town Life to Hartke Stage

Audiences at The Catholic University of America will enter into a classic motif of small-town life in mid-century America during the University's production of Picnic, which will be performed in Hartke Theatre Dec. 1 through 4.

Written by playwright William Inge in 1953, Picnic tells the story of an impulsive young drifter who arrives in a Midwestern neighborhood right before Labor Day. It's not long before his actions force the neighbors to face long-avoided facts and address conflicts head on.

The Catholic University production is directed by Bill Largess, a 1976 graduate of the Department of Drama. A piece of period realism, the play earned a Pulitzer Prize for its dramatic and sometimes funny exploration of loneliness and desire.

Picnic will be performed Dec. 1 through 3 at 7:30 p.m., and Dec. 3 and 4, at 2 p.m. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit drama.cua.edu, email cua-drama@cua.edu, or call the box office at 202-319-4000. Tickets are $15 for general admission; $10 for senior citizens, military, Catholic University alumni, faculty, and staff; and $5 for students. Student rush tickets will be available an hour before performances for $3.

The Catholic University of America is the national university of the Catholic Church and the only higher education institution founded by the U.S. bishops. Established in 1887 as a papally chartered graduate and research center, the University comprises 12 schools and 22 research facilities and is home to 3,480 undergraduate and 3,041 graduate students.