Moon Shot

Somewhere along the road, dysfunctional families became normal. June and Ward Cleaver were replaced by Peg and Al Bundy and all hell broke lose. But the story of dysfunction and abuse started long before that. Take the Hunsdorfer family. In Paul Zindel's 1971 Pulitzer Prize winning drama The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, young Tillie heartbreakingly deals with her abusive mother Beatrice and her "rebellious" sister Ruth, all while preparing for a science fair and life outside her home—and don't even ask about the fate of Peter, her pet rabbit. The Flower Mound Performing Arts Theatre (830 Parker Square) presents The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the Moon Marigolds at 7:30 p.m. Thursday,with a special ticket price of $15. The play runs through September 30. Tickets are $25 to $35 depending on the performance dates. Call 972-724-2147 or visit fmpat.org.
Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.; Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2:30 p.m. Starts: Sept. 20. Continues through Sept. 30, 2007