Special to GUIDON

The curtain rises tonight on the final production of the 2012 Ozark Actors Theatre season when the cast of “The Diviners” takes the stage at 7 p.m. at the Cedar Street Playhouse, located at 701 North Cedar in Rolla.

This play is a drama that tells of the redemption of a wandering preacher as he befriends heartbroken young man in a tiny town.

Jason Cannon, OAT’s producing artistic director, said the organization has assembled a cast of professional actors from New York, Minnesota and St. Louis, along with local actors, for the play.

 OAT’s original artistic director and co-founder, F. Reed Brown, directs the play. He previously directed “The Diviners” in 1988 during OAT’s inaugural season.

Cannon considers “The Diviners” a fitting cap to what has been a highly successful summer season in 2012 — the 25th season of live, professional theater produced by OAT.

“We are so pleased to close our season with such a powerful play,” Cannon said. “We are especially excited because it’s a perfect way to close our first quarter century, by having Reed come back and direct a show that last graced the OAT stage in our first year of existence.”

Performances of “The Diviners” are scheduled at 2 and 8 p.m. Friday 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Performances continue at 7 p.m. Aug. 9, 2 and 8 p.m. Aug. 10, 8 p.m. Aug. 11 and 2 p.m. Aug. 12.

Tickets to “The Diviners” are $20 for adults, $16 per person for groups of 15 or more and for active-duty military service members with ID, $12 for children ages 17 and younger or for college students with ID. Family ticket packages are also available.

Tickets are available online at  www.ozarkactorstheatre.org or by calling 573.364.9523.