Auditions for Joan Ackerman’s “Off the Map” will be March 15 at 2 p.m. and March 17 and 18 at 6:30 p.m. at Columbia Center for the Arts, 215 Cascade St.

Production dates are May 9, 10, 16, 17, 18, 23 and 24. Director is CAST veteran Ken McCarty

Bo Groden looks back on the summer when she was 11 years old and everything changed. Serving as narrator, she sifts through the memories of an unusual childhood spent in the wilds of northern New Mexico where her enterprising parents forged a rich life off the land and the local dump. Desperate to escape as a child, she yearns to go back.

This is the summer when Charley, her father, spiraled into depression. Usually able to build and fix anything, he is unable to fix himself, but the family carries on, thanks in large part to Arlene, Bo’s resourceful mother. George, Charley’s lifelong friend, offers watercolors and silence.

Lonely for her father’s companionship, Bo amuses herself by writing letters for free samples and praying for a miracle. It arrives in the form of William Gibbs, a displaced IRS agent who arrives in a fever and never leaves. This offbeat comedy has a compelling and lyrical quality.

George, Charley’s lifelong friend — a Korean War veteran, age 40s.

Charley, Bo’s father, Arlene’s husband — a Korean War veteran — age 40s.

Arlene, Bo’s mother, Charley’s wife, age 40s.

William Gibbs, the young IRS agent — age 28.