White Sails, Dark Seas by Paul Lavrakas

"A complex, daring play full of rich symbols, theatrical staging demands, and thoughtful ideas."

In just one hour, Birmingham Children's Theatre tells about the discovery of a new world and the demise of a race. The play is White Sails, Dark Seas, and it's the tale of Christopher Columbus' quest to find a western route to the Indies.

White Sails, Dark Seas, written by Washington, D.C. playwright Paul Lavrakas on commission from BCT, is a remarkable piece of theatre. Lavrakas' script tells the story succinctly and smartly.

The play addresses how Columbus' trailblazing ultimately destroyed the lives of the island inhabitants. The story ends on a note of sadness that effectively portrays the desolation as no amount of preaching ever could.

It would have taken Hollywood millions of dollars and months of filming to do half as good a job as BCT does with the saga of Columbus.