A troupe of 12 high school students from the Coronado School of the Arts performed the one-act play “”Bang Bang You’re Dead”” at the Mandell Weiss Forum Theater on Tuesday night.
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The play, written by William Mastrosimone, was directed by Liz O’Neill, a drama teacher at CoSA. At the playwright’s request, the show was free and was followed by an open discussion for the audience.
The play, which is inspired by the actual May 1988 school shooting in Springfield, Ore., chronicles the mental state of the perpetrator of a high school shooting before and after he committed the crime. Kip Kinkel was the 15-year-old charged with killing his parents and two classmates in the Springfield shooting.
“”Bang Bang You’re Dead”” has spread across the nation. High schools and performance groups have picked up the free script and performed it, hoping the message of the play would be conveyed to at-risk students.
Matthew Weatherman played Josh, the youth who turns in desperation to violence. Josh, like Kinkel, turns the gun on his parents, as well as five classmates.
The play featured performances by Phillip Botello, Adriana Campos, Daisy Cross, Markus Erdmann, Alison Hoover, Annika Keller, Annalyn Lehnig, Jenny McArthur, Alma Schneider, Geoffrey Sykes and Weatherman. The actors are all students at CoSA.
Dr. Vivian Reznik of the Academic Center of Excellence on Youth Violence Prevention was responsible for bringing the play to UCSD.
At the end of the play, much of the audience was in tears.
The post-performance forum opened an intimate discussion between the cast and audience on issues of violence.
O’Neill began the discussion with an account of her past as a violent person and her recovery from that through “”nonviolent communication.”” Kelly Bryson, a psychotherapist and trainer for the International Centers for Nonviolent Communication, led the discussion.
But with Bryson’s help, O’Neill said she has been able to overcome her violent tendencies. She proudly announced to the audience that she has never abused her 4-year-old child.
“”I’ve broken the chain,”” she said.
A high school student in the audience told about the “”disaster drills”” that are now being practiced in many high schools. Along with typical earthquake and fire drills, high school students are being told what to do if a violent act occurs at their schools. A special siren rings, the audience member told, notifying the students of gun violence or a threat on the campus.
The students involved in the play emphasized how much the experience has affected them.
The script of “”Bang Bang You’re Dead,”” as well as additional information on performance venues and dates, is available online at http://www.bangbangyouredead.com.
