New Jersey Stage April 2015 | Page 21

New York City was boiling, the lights went out, and the Son of Sam was on the prowl... The Summer Of ‘77 By Gary Wien The summer of 1977 was a wild time in New York City. People suffered through an intense heat wave, a city-wide blackout, and a serial killer on the loose. Just the mention of the name “Son of Sam” to someone who lived in the city at that time and gruesome memories will likely come flooding back to them. April 2015 Article Index It was especially dangerous if you were a young woman in Queens where playwright Tammy Ryan was growing up. The fear she felt in those days has remained throughout her life and plays a role in Ryan’s play, Tar Beach, which is running at Luna Stage in West Orange through May 9. Next Article Events 21