Back Alley's 'Ordinary People' offers stark look at a family in crisis

Thomas White, Rebecca Lapp and Henry Tollett play the Jarrett family in "Ordinary People."

Back Alley Productions will present "Ordinary People," the story of the disintegration of an upper-middle-class family in the wake of personal tragedy, with six performances at the Mars Theatre in LaFayette, Ga.

The play will be presented at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings from June 30-July 15.

"Ordinary People" focuses on the middle-class Jarrett family, which consists of Calvin, a successful but slightly oblivious tax attorney; Beth, socialite and matriarch who has turned cold toward her family; and Conrad, their younger son. Their life is idealistic until Buck, the eldest son, is killed in a boating accident.

The story begins when Conrad, the youngest son, returns home from a psychiatric hospital after a suicide attempt driven by deep depression and unbearable survivor's guilt. He feels alienated from his friends and family, so he begins seeing a psychiatrist, Dr. Berger.

Before long, Berger learns the entire Jarrett family is only happy and functional on the surface. In reality, each member of the family is still struggling with an unexposed battle even a year after the tragedy.

"Judith Guest's story offers a candid look at a family's breakdown and partial recovery following tragic circumstances," says director Christopher Smith. "It's an absorbing and authentic look at real people trying to survive a deeply painful event, using sometimes healthy and sometimes destructive means to do so."

Smith adds that "Ordinary People" offers a sharp examination of mental health, the struggles of troubled family dynamics, and everyday tragedies that often get buried by the urgent need to return to normalcy as quickly as possible.

"There's a reason introspective dramas like 'Ordinary People' exist. They are cathartic and inspirational, more than they are bleak and hopeless. There's an element of community in knowing that we're not fighting our personal battles alone, and theatre is one more way of dealing with or reflecting on life's universal challenges," Smith explains.

Audience members are advised the show contains adult language and themes not suitable for children.

Tickets are $15 general admission and $12 students and senior adults. They may be purchased 30 minutes before showtime at the theater box office, or online at www.BAPshows.com.

For more information: www.BAPshows.com or 706-621-9129.