Downers Grove South to bring 'Luck of the Irish' to the stage Jan. 31-Feb. 1

Downers Grove South High School Drama presents their Black History play, "Luck of the Irish," at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, in the school auditorium, 1436 Norfolk St.

Tickets can be purchased in the student activities office or at the door on the night of the event.

General admission tickets are $10, $5 for senior citizens; District 99 students get in free with their high school ID.

The play by Kirsten Greenidge is set in the early 2000s. Hannah and Rich live in a medium-sized suburban town on the outskirts of Boston. Hannah's grandparents, Rex and Lucy, obtained the house in the late 1950s, through a process known as "ghost buying." Because at the time the neighborhood was not tolerant enough for them to buy the house openly themselves, they paid a struggling Irish family, the Donovans, to act as their front. Now, 50 years later, the Irish couple wants "their" house back. The action of the play moves back and forth between the 1950s and the 21st century, exploring the complex impact of racial integration and the universal longing for home.

The audience will be onstage with the actors in a runway style stage setup. There is mild adult language in the play.

The cast includes: Ahja Marshall as Lucy Taylor; Kenneth Jordan as Rex Taylor; Andrew O'Connor as Joe Donovan; Sally Lichner as Patty Ann Donovan; Aamari Taylor as Hannah Davis; Lorenzo Hopkins as Rich Davis; Sam Caldwell as Nessa Charles; Jacob Kulovany as Mr. Donovan; Taylor Voss as Mrs. Donovan; and Amari Alexander as Miles Davis.

The play is directed by Nathaniel Haywood. Student directors are Taylor Voss and Wally Agbedanu, and stage manager is Cathy Gadomski.

For information, contact the South High Student Activities Office at (630) 795-8518.