Froghouses and Fireflies

Synopsis

St. Marys Little Theatre (SMLT) has announced the debut showing of the original musical Froghouses & Fireflies to be performed onstage at Theater by the Trax August 15-17.

A fifth production has been added to SMLT’s 2025 performance calendar to commemorate its 15th season with a poignant memoir of growing up in the south written by SMLT founder Barbara Ryan- Harris.

“The story begins in 1954 in rural North Carolina as a young girl entreats God to prove his existence,” said Ryan-Harris. “Progressing several decades, the story reveals a family’s challenges and triumphs through monumental events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.”

Original musical selections including the story of “Bad Luck Bobby” and “Hurricane Hazel” are interwoven with tales of hardship and survival.

“Froghouses & Fireflies is autobiographical in nature and an authentic representation of what it was like in the rural south in the 50s, 60s, and 70s,” Ryan-Harris said.

Co-directed by SMLT Chair Gloria Hurley and Ryan-Harris, the production will make only three showings, anticipating an early sellout.

“The story is captivating. The music is stirring. And the message will bring tears, laughter, and celebration from the audience,” said Hurley.