The Saint Patrick High School Theatre Department will kick off its 2005 – 2006 season with the funny and heartwarming play, "Over the Tavern." Written by Tom Dudzick and directed by Kevin Long, Theatre Program Director, "Over the Tavern" is a humorous and true-to-life portrait of a Polish Catholic family in 1950’s Buffalo, New York. The show will run November 4-6, 2005.

This hilarious yet affectionate memory play is set in 1959 when Catholic kids were angelic, reverent and obedient. And then there was Rudy. Growing up Polish/Catholic in the late ‘50s, the bright, wisecracking, 12-year-old member of the Pazinski family, Rudy is full of life’s hopes and joys. Unfortunately, this frequently puts him at odds with some of the precepts of the Catholic Church and in particular his teacher, the stern Sister Clarissa.

"Over the Tavern" was originally produced by Studio Arena Theatre in Buffalo, where Dudzick honed the play through three years of drafts, rewrites and three very different productions. His play is fueled by memories of his own parochial school experience during the 1950’s. “The ‘Rudy versus Sister Clarissa’ element of ‘Over the Tavern’ is total wish fulfillment," according to playwright Dudzick. Writing the play was a way for Dudzick to travel back in time to a vexing episode in his life, stick up for himself and say all the right things.

"Over the Tavern" opens November 4, and runs through November 6. The Friday and Saturday performances will start at 7:30 p.m., and the Sunday matinee is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. All shows will be at the Saint Patrick Performing Arts Centre, located at 5900 W. Belmont Avenue. Tickets are $7.00 and can be purchased on line at http://www.stpatrick.org/performingarts/tickets.htm, or by phoning the Box Office at 773.286.6814.

It would be a sin to miss this funny and heart warming play.