MAYDAY: Captain Lerro and the Skyway Bridge
A Play by Bill DeYoung
directed by Dennis O'Donovan
May 27, 28, 29
True Florida Story: Meet John Lerro, who you will get to know and perhaps admire despite the tragic events of May 9, 1980.
He was the Tampa harbor pilot at the command of a 20,000 ton freighter that brought down a section of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge—a pivotal moment in Tampa Bay history and the worst ship-bridge collision in U. S. history. The accident and tragic loss of life were caused by a blinding rogue storm, undetected by weather instruments. Although exonerated by the courts, Captain Lerro spent the rest of his life regarded as a pariah in the community, made all the worse by his pervasive survivor’s guilt. This is the story of his 20-year quest for redemption.
Each performance will include a post-show Q&A session:
May 27 - Jack Krantz
May 28 - Author Bill DeYoung
May 29 - Mike Miller
