What is the science behind first love? Two outsiders, a gifted Yemeni-American teenager at a poorly rated high school in the South Bronx and her disillusioned biology teacher, form an unlikely scientific partnership in the hope of securing her a scholarship. But when conflicts arise over differences in religion, culture and the boundaries of mentorship, their capacity to alter the course of each other's lives becomes greater than either had imagined. Paradise was commissioned by Ensemble Studio Theatre and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, dedicated to developing new works about science and technology, and was a runner-up for the 2016 Saroyan/Paul Playwriting Prize for Human Rights. “WOW!... intelligent, thought-provoking, compelling, heartbreaking, and satisfying... deserves national attention” — Stage Scene LA. Following four weeks of sold-out performances at the Westside’s Odyssey Theatre, the acclaimed production of Laura Maria Censabella’s moving, funny and thought-provoking drama, produced by Viola Davis and Julius Tennon’s JuVee Productions and American Oasis, re-opens as a visiting production at the Matrix Theatre, 7657 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90046; March 8 thru March 31; $35; (323) 960-7724 or www.Plays411.com/Paradise