A Separate Peace

John Knowles’ classic tale of two high-school boys standing on the threshold of war and adulthood comes to the stage. Gene Forrester is a careful, studious young man, full of fear of the future. As America is about to enter World War II, Gene attends summer school at Devon in New England. There he meets Phineas, a remarkable young man whose love for life defies the reality of draft boards and battleships and challenges the adult world.  The two become the best of friends, playing blitzball and jumping out of trees, until the fear in Gene can no longer tolerate the life in Finny. The two face each other, both figuratively and literally, on a tree limb overlooking death. This is the story of both learning to face the world and face oneself. Although the era and anxiety belong to 1942, the search for a “special and separate peace” is timeless. Approximate running time: 70 minutes. Parental Advisory: Depiction of tobacco and alcohol use, and some mild language.