How come there's never a play simply about flowers?

Well, finally, here is a chance to change that narrow-minded thinking with a play exactly about that.

At 8 p.m. tomorrow and Saturday in 111 Forum, student theatre group No Refund Theatre (NRT) will perform Paul Zindel's Pulitzer Prize-winning play The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds.

The play is actually about much more than what the title implies, director Erica Karapandi said.

"The show focuses on a widowed mother and her two daughters, and the main theme in the show is that of family dysfunction and personal growth," Karapandi said.

"The marigolds are a key symbol of that," she added.

With only three main characters, the play is centered on monologues.

"There are a number of beautiful monologues in the play," Karapandi said. "It's probably the most interesting part of the play."

For Karapandi, this play marks her first time directing, and she said that it has been a very favorable experience all around.

"I've assistant directed for two shows and been tech for a dozen," Karapandi said. "This experience has been great. I've been so lucky to have such a talented cast."

Beth Peters (junior-architectural engineering) plays Beatrice, the mother and the lead role in the play.

"This is the first time I've had more than 10 lines in a play," Peters said. "It's a lot of work, but I love the character."

Peters also spoke very fondly of NRT and said that, as an actor, being an engineer has led her to interesting viewpoints of Penn State.

"NRT is pretty much foreign to the engineering part of campus," Peters said. "I'm always being asked why I'm an engineer if I like acting."

Karapandi said that Peters is a talented actor, and she was happy to work with her on this play.

"I also owe credit to Natalie McCabe, my assistant director, that worked with the cast on their acting skills every Wednesday night while I had my night class," Karapandi said.

The cast has been preparing the play for only six weeks and has become very close.

"The fact that the play has so few characters has allowed a lot of bonds to form," Peters said.

Mary Ann Brosnan (freshman-theatre arts and English) plays one of the two daughters, and this is her first NRT show.

"It's been a lot of fun," Brosnan said. "I love playing an extrovert, desperate for attention."

Zindel, who also wrote the childhood classic The Pigman, created this play to be highly autobiographical, which is intriguing, as it has no male characters.

"There are only women working on this play, tech and cast," Karapandi said. "We didn't plan it that way, but that's how it turned out."

But people shouldn't think that this is a feminist play, Karapandi insisted.

"There are many all-male plays that are not considered to have any particular gender message," Karapandi said. "The play only cast women, but feminism is not a theme."

Another preconception that Karapani wants to dispel is the notion of this being a children's play.

"Zindel has written some things for children, but this is definitely one of his mature plays," Karapandi said.

"The fact of the matter is that it is an award-winning play full of beauty and intrigue that everyone will enjoy," she added.