By Tyler Sutherland
A new play at Prairie Theatre Exchange will explore the issues of bullying when one group of teens accidentally kills a fellow classmate.
“DeoxyriboNucleic Acid (D.N.A.)” will be presented by PTE School’s Young Company and is the dilemma right from the pages of playwright Dennis Kelly.
“D.N.A. is a great play for teens to perform, as it explores the heart of the human mystery: why do we behave the way we do? Can we change? Is there hope for the future?” said the show’s director, Arne MacPherson. “The students have proved to be extremely perceptive about the play, the characters and the themes. Their understanding of the deeper meaning of the play is very sophisticated.”
Synopsis: In this poignant play, a boy gets bullied into a fatal fall after a group of teenagers takes a joke ‘a bit far’ all in the name of a laugh. This puts unbelievable pressure on ten of his schoolmates who feel themselves collectively compromised. But rather than owning up, the group, lead by the coldly amoral Phil, devise a wicked conspiracy that has unexpected, but terrifyingly logical, consequences.
D.N.A. runs tonight at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, April 24 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $8 for adults, $5 for students and seniors, and are available at the PTE Box Office, 3rd floor Portage Place, or by phone at 942-5483.
