Magenta Theater’s first Black Chair Project of 2025 "Tiny Beautiful Things" comes to life with a one-night-only special performance on Saturday, April 5th, 2025, at 7:30 pm.
Based on the bestselling book by Cheryl Strayed, and adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos, “Tiny Beautiful Things” brings to light the questions and answers submitted to the “Dear Sugar” advice column by people searching for guidance in the face of life’s obstacles. It is based on real experiences the author encountered during her time as an anonymous advice columnist. Strayed used her radical empathy and personal experiences to offer a healing hand to those who trusted in her to listen.
“The ‘Dear Sugar’ column is about people connecting in a world detached and isolated due to a pandemic or simple screen usage,” says director Larrisa Epperson. “Sugar provides a safe space for people to say, out loud, who they want to be and what they feel. Her responses offer what we wish every parental figure would have given us over the years: enough of a connection to make us feel safe within our broken selves, and enough wisdom to hold onto hope.”
Though the show has humor and everyday moments that we all deal with, the script contains heavy profanity and crude language. “Tiny Beautiful Things” and all of its characters examine and discuss many adult situations, including sexual assault, infidelity, drug use, domestic and familial abuse, child loss, toxic family and ragged relationships, death and grieving, trolling and bullying, and more. The director will retain the original writing in the script.
“‘Tiny Beautiful Things’ is about reaching out when you’re stuck, healing when you’re broken, and finding the courage to take on the questions that have no answers,” says Epperson. “With the sharing of these truths, only then can we find the light and build the courage in ourselves to reach for better moments and a weightless future.”
Magenta’s Black Chair Projects are a special series of staged readings of plays, enhanced with costumes, props and other minimal technical elements. The cast of “Tiny Beautiful Things” includes Katie Norcross as Sugar, Cris Villa as Letter Writer #1, Amiellia Kolosvary as Letter Writer #2, and Max Seger as Letter Writer #3.
Advance purchase of tickets is recommended online at MAGENTATHEATER.COM for $15 and at the door as inventory permits