Rossi's light touch makes history fresh. Characters representing a bygone era pulse with vitality and parallel modern turmoil in a way that only a thoroughly researched topic can be articulated by a masterful artist. And he can write a damn good lyric. Time with Verboten is time well spent.

I have had the pleasure of seeing the script evolve. Rossi takes on one of the most notable times in history and gives us a script that is full of heart, creativity, and music. There is joy mixed in with the pain, and it results in a heartwrenching climax. The fight for freedom is in the hearts and hands of the youth. Tyler creates characters that embody that idea, along with the idea of survival, while still helping them find way to let the rebellion continue when they feel the fight has been lost.

Some histories demand to be written about over and over again, because we as a society forget or we naively claim "it can't happen here." But this play is more than history; it documents how difficult it can be to stand up for your convictions when everything around is changing and sometimes you cannot even trust your friends to do the right thing. All of these young characters are immensely complicated and relatable, and we completely understand their difficulties with trying to figure out how best to fight oppression. This play is timeless and significant.