Judy Blume keeps on blooming

Hot on the heels of ACT’s performance of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (tween novelist Judy Blume’s tale of elementary-school angst and sibling rivalry), BeBe Theatre (20 Commerce St., Asheville) gears up to host Run Amok Productions’ version of another Blume classic: Forever.

First published in 1975, Forever begins with the line, “Sybil Davison has a genius I.Q. and has been laid by at least six different guys.” In case you’re not following, it’s a story about the first time. Or, as Blume explains on her Web site, “My daughter Randy asked for a story about two nice kids who have sex without either of them having to die.” Seems simple enough, but the taboo subject (like so much of Blume’s adolescent material) earned the book banned status.

In fact, Young Adult author Blume had five books on the American Library Association’s list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–2000, and is known as the most banned author in America.

So, three decades later, Run Amok Productions is asking, “Caftans, key parties, fondue, and… Ralph??” Josh Batenhorst, Wesley Bolden, Scott Bunn, Sarah Carpenter, Tabatha Hall, Beth Herrman, Katie Kasben, Emily Miller, Betsy Puckett, Ricky Webb, and Waylon Wood star in this tale of sexual awakening. Tom Chalmers directs.

The show runs Fridays and Saturdays, April 6 & 7 and 13 & 14 at 8 p.m.  All tickets are $10. 350-9696 for reservations (seating is limited). For mature audiences only.