Scene One: Lights up on a young boy sitting in a jail cell when his dead classmates come back to haunt him. They ask him why; what made him shoot them?
That’s the opening scene of the one act play “Bang, Bang, You’re Dead” that Centreville High School performed for the Virginia Theatre Association’s state competition. The play tells the story of a teenager who shot five classmates and what lead him to the violence. It ends with the boy recognizing the serious mistake he has committed and the realization that it will haunt him for the rest of his life.
The play was released as a Showtime movie four years ago. The week of the release the author, William Mastrosimone, received 1,500 e-mails from high school students who related to the subject matter and were already planning violence in the form of suicide or killing other students. With the three high school shootings that occurred around the country in the past two months, it is a good time to perform an anti-violence play. This is not a feel-good, slap-stick play, but it is thought-provoking and real.
As a member of the cast, I feel good delivering a positive message to make people aware of the pressures that can lead a high school student to violence. This play really made me think about how to help students who feel neglected, unloved, or excluded.
“Bang, Bang, You’re Dead” was performed at Centreville High School along with the Theatre II performance of “Snap Shots” on Wednesday, Nov. 1. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to National Association of Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE), Inc. SAVE is a nonprofit organization striving to decrease the potential for violence in our schools and communities by promoting meaningful student involvement, education and service opportunities.