Coastal Carolina University Theatre will present “The Pain and The Itch,” a dark comedy that satirizes American social and family values, from Thursday, Feb. 4 through Saturday, Feb. 6 and from Wednesday, Feb. 10 through Saturday, Feb. 13. All shows are at 7:30 p.m. in the Black Box Theatre in the Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts building. The play contains mature subject matter and is not recommended for children.

Written by Bruce Norris and first presented at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre, “The Pain and the Itch” is a scathing satire of the politics of class and race. The action takes place in January ("the present") and on Thanksgiving day ("the past") at the home of Clay and Kelly, an affluent couple who lead nontraditional lives—he’s a wimpy stay-at-home mom and she’s a high-powered corporate lawyer. Try as they might to achieve a sense of normalcy for the family get-together, the holiday dinner goes drastically, unexpectedly wrong. With a young daughter in serious need of attention and a ravenous creature prowling the upstairs bedrooms, the event unravels to expose the ugly natures of family relationships.

The production is directed by Eric Hall, assistant professor of theatre at CCU. The cast includes musical theatre majors James Wells, Jenna Tummino, Sarah Burton and Nicole Borysowicz and dramatic arts majors Jenn Wilsey, Sly McCoy and Chad Bagwell. Other musical theatre majors involved in the production are stage manager Erin Toman, assistant stage manager Charles Armstrong and costume designer Meghan McCormick.

General admission is $15; alumni and senior citizens (65+) and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute members are $10; teens (11 to 17) and children (10 and under) are $5; CCU and HGTC faculty and staff, $10; CCU and HGTC students, $5.

Call Wheelwright Box Office at 843-349-2502 for tickets or more information.