By Gary Wien
originally published: 04/20/2015
Tar Beach revolves around sixteen year old Mary Claire and her best friend Mary Francis as they begin the day sunning themselves on the roof of an Ozone Park row house. Claire’s younger sister Reenie is searching for her lost Greek Mythology class project, while their parents are consumed by the battles of their troubled marriage. The boy crazy girls hatch a plan to stay out all night, but an overstressed electrical grid leads to a city-wide blackout and a sudden loss of innocence.
Ryan says the play is based on events that happened around that summer, but it is not autobiographical. She previously took a look at the summer of 1977 in her play, Dark Part of the Forest, which was seen through the point of view of the mother; Tar Beach, however, is seen through the experience of the young girls.
“It was the late seventies, which was a weird time in New York,” recalled Ryan. “Financially, there was crisis; socially, there was upheaval. It was a time of people unmooring, I think. Children weren’t supervised. Parents were going wild too. It was just a crazy, crazy time.”
It was also a very dangerous period of time. The Son of Sam began killing people in 1976 and wasn’t caught until August the next year. He is famous for using a .44 caliber Bulldog revolver and believed he was merely following the orders of a demon that took the form of a neighbor’s dog. And those orders were to kill young women.
Ryan describes the play as a coming-of-age story for two young girls in a society where sometimes it is dangerous to be a female. The time period forms the perfect setting for her with the blackout and the Son of Sam serving as the ultimate predators.
“It was this pressure cooker,” recalled Ryan. “You knew something was going to blow.”
Fear of the dark is seen in the play as a primal experience, something that has been with humans since the dawn of time. Mary’s father is afraid because he thinks the only thing keeping society from anarchy is electricity. As looting spreads across the city, his fears are somewhat realized.
The play also focuses on the relationship of the two siblings. In fact, the original concept for the play came from a writing workshop at Premiere Stages which utilized an exercise called “On the Roof.” The instructor had the class write very quickly with constant stops and restarts. The idea was to write without even thinking about what was being written. For Ryan, the exercise led to the teenagers on the roof. The early stages of the play was entirely focused on the relationship of the family.
“I don’t know exactly when the Son of Sam came in, but if I’m going back to the seventies with the point of view of a teenager, I’m going to think of the Son of Sam,” said Ryan. “It was that impactful in my life. Growing up in Queens and being that age — sort of sexually coming of age at a time when he was killing young girls making out in cars — there was that connection that it was dangerous to be a young girl. That connection is what always pulls me back there.”
In the back of her mind, she may have been thinking about her own girls. Her youngest is entering her teenage years. She wonders what lessons from the Summer of 1977 she might be passing on to her own children.
“The girls in the play think Son of Sam is what they all need to be afraid of, but it actually turns out to be closer to home,” add Ryan.
Tar Beach was named a finalist for the Terrence McNally Playwriting Award, The Source Theater Festival and a Jane Chambers Playwriting Award honoree. The play was included in the 2014 edition of The List compiled by The Kilroys as “one of the most excellent new plays by female-identified authors of last year.”
Since moving to Pittsburgh 25 years ago, where her work is often performed, Ryan’s plays have been staged all across the United States and she’s found something of a second home in New Jersey. It began in 2006 when Premiere Stages presented one of her works. In the years to follow, her work has debuted at Premiere Stages, the Playwrights Theatre of New Jersey, and now Luna Stage.
“The connection with New Jersey probably stems from my voice sounding familiar being from New York,” said Ryan. “It’s nice to kind of have two homes.”
About the author:
Gary Wien has been covering the arts since 2001 and has had work published with Jersey Arts, Upstage Magazine, Elmore Magazine, Princeton Magazine, Backstreets and other publications. He is a three-time winner of the Asbury Music Award for Top Music Journalist and the author of
Beyond the Palace (the first book on the history of rock and roll in Asbury Park) and
Are You Listening? The Top 100 Albums of 2001-2010 by New Jersey Artists. In addition, he runs New Jersey Stage and the online radio station
The Penguin Rocks. His personal website is at
lightyscorner.com. He can be contacted at
[email protected].
EVENT PREVIEWS
Asbury Park Theater Company to Hold Open Auditions for "The Wolves" by Sarah DeLappe
(ASBURY PARK, NJ) -- Asbury Park Theater Company (APTCo) has announced that its first mainstage production under newly appointed Producing Artistic Director Nate Patten will be The Wolves, Sarah DeLappe's Pulitzer Prize finalist play that has captivated audiences across the country with its sharp wit, emotional honesty, and unforgettable portrait of young women finding their voices.
Ferrell Studios Community Theatre presents "Merrily We Roll Along"
(METUCHEN, NJ) -- Ferrell Studios Community Theatre, a nonprofit theatre organization serving Central New Jersey, announces its upcoming production of Merrily We Roll Along, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by George Furth. The production will close the company's 2025-26 season, themed "Our Time," with five performances at St. Luke's Episcopal Church Auditorium in Metuchen, NJ from August 20-23, 2026.
Ritz Theatre Company presents 2026 One-Act Play Festival
(HADDON TOWNSHIP, NJ) -- The Ritz Theatre Company presents their 2026 One-Act Play Festival from August 28-29. The festival features one-act comedies from practicing and promised playwrights from around the world!
Brundage Park Playhouse presents "Anything Goes"
(RANDOLPH, NJ) -- Brundage Park Playhouse presents Anything Goes across two weekends from August 21-30, 2026. Set sail aboard the S.S. America before the end of summer with a dazzling production of the classic musical comedy.
McCarter Theatre presents the Octopus Theatricals Production of "All The Devils Are Here"
(PRINCETON, NJ) -- McCarter Theatre presents the Octopus Theatricals Production of All The Devils Are Here from August 19-30, 2026. Learn how Shakespeare invented the villain in a play created and performed by Patrick Page. The production is directed by Simon Godwin.
George Street Playhouse presents "Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares"
(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- George Street Playhouse presents Laura Benanti: Nobody Cares - a comedy show with original songs from August 26-30, 2026. Direct from an acclaimed run at Edinburgh Fringe and two sold-out Off-Broadway engagements comes this one-woman comedy show from the mind of Tony Award® winner Laura Benanti.
Surflight Theatre presents "1776, the Musical"
(BEACH HAVEN, NJ) -- Witness the birth of a nation as our forefathers struggle to craft the Declaration of Independence when Surflight Theatre presents 1776, the Musical from August 18-30, 2026.
Spring Lake Theatre Company presents "Last Out: Elegy of a Green Beret"
(SPRING LAKE, NJ) -- Spring Lake Theatre Company presents two performances of Last Out: Elegy of a Green Beret from August 29-30, 2026. This is a one-act play from the experiences of America's longest war, blending heartfelt storytelling with a unique cast of combat veterans and military family members.
Bell Theater at Bell Works presents Broadway Sings for Aaron Lazar on August 31
(HOLMDEL, NJ) -- In 2022, as the world was finally coming out of COVID-19, Aaron Lazar was invited to return to the stage to lead the cast of The Bridges of Madison County, playing opposite Kate Baldwin at the Axelrod Performing Arts Center in Deal. Just days into rehearsal, Lazar received a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, a progressive neurological disease with no known cure. Thus began Lazar's "extraordinary" journey.
Light Opera of New Jersey to Hold Auditions for "Amahl and The Night Visitors"
(BASKING RIDGE, NJ) -- Light Opera of New Jersey will hold auditions for Amahl and the Night Visitors, a heartwarming holiday opera, on August 27th and September 3rd from 7:00pm to 10:00pm. Callbacks will be on September 5th from 2:00pm to 5:00pm. Auditions will be in Basking Ridge. Registrants will be advised of exact location after registering. All roles are opened and paid.
FEATURED EVENTS
