New Direction Community Theater announces performances for Paul Zindel’s “The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-Moon Marigolds.” Tickets are $15 ($12 for students and seniors), and may be purchased online at ndctheater.org.

In the play, shy Matilda Hunsdorfer, nicknamed Tillie, prepares an experiment involving marigolds raised from seeds exposed to radioactivity for her science fair. She is, however, constantly thwarted by her mother Beatrice, who is self-centered and abusive, and by her extroverted and unstable sister Ruth, who submits to her mother's will. Over the course of the play, Beatrice constantly tries to stamp out any opportunities Tillie has of succeeding, due to her own lack of success in life.