How do you deal with a child who is severely brain-damaged and how does that affect a marriage? This topic and more are taken on in Peter Nichols' semi-autobiographical dark comedy A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, playing November 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20 at 8 p.m., at the Wayne State University Studio Theatre.

Bri and Sheila were a normal British couple until the birth of their daughter, Joe. After the discovery that little Joe would never have a personality and live as a "parsnip," the young couple tries to live with the situation by creating personalities for Joe, resorting to humor and fantasy to lighten a heavy burden and get through another day. British playwright Peter Nichols wrote A Day in the Death of Joe Egg in 1966 and it was first staged in 1967. A Day in the Death of Joe Egg won two Tony Awards in 1985, Best Revival of a Play and Best Actress, Stockard Channing for her portrayal of Sheila.

Director Cary Leiter is a second-year PhD candidate at Wayne State University. WSU senior Frank Sawa (Warren), last seen as Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, returns to play Bri, with senior Meagan Evanoff (Warren) as Sheila, junior Lisa Gibson (Livonia) as Joe, senior Katie Galazka (Livonia) as Pam, junior Will Robb (St. Clair Shores) as Freddie, and senior Megan Wright (Walled Lake) as Grace. Scenic and properties design is by Gwen Lindsay (Pinckney), costume design is by Corey O' Sullivan (Canton), lighting design is by Steven Drader (Grosse Pointe), sound design is by Neil Koivu, Jr. (Ferndale), and Joel Davis (Pontiac) is the production stage manager.

The Studio Theatre is located downstairs from the Hilberry Theatre at 4743 Cass Avenue, at the corner of Cass and Hancock. Performances of A Day in the Death of Joe Egg are at 8 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, November 11,12,13,18,19,and 20. Tickets are $9 general admission; $7 for students, senior citizens, WSU faculty, staff and Alumni Association members. For more information or to order tickets to A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, call the Wayne State University Theatre Box Office at (313) 577-2972.