MONROE - A dozen students at the Monroe High School have practiced for a play they'll present Friday.
It's not a typical play, however.
"Voices from the High School" is a mixture of monologues and two-person scenes that focus on student issues, director Jenny Frankey-Moehn said. The scenes relate to high school students from a student's point of view.
The scenes and monologues tackle such topics as dating, what makes a home, teen suicide and AIDS.
"I found a piece of rope near the washing machine and I got up on a box and tied it to a pipe," Sean Jorgenson says in a moving monologue about suicide. "I don't remember kicking over the box, but they tell me I did."
The play doesn't talk down to students. It talks to them.
"This is very realistic, it's done in a conversational way," play director and teacher Frankey-Moehn said.
The actors, Peter Kelly, Jorgenson, Eric Grau, Ian Geyer, Michael Storey, Tyler Moser, Lucy Hemmerling, Jordan Gehring, Rikka Nelson, Lindsey Buehler, Kelsey Rients and Paige Hoesly, make the situations in the play believable.
The actors couldn't wait to explain why they think the play with appeal to students. Enthusiastically, they explained why they think the play is special.
"This is something teens go through. It's not sugar-coated. It's very real."
"You can connect with the characters."
"Some people might see themselves."
The students began to explain how the scenes in the play are acted out in everyday life. There are teens who have difficult times at home, teens who think about suicide, and teens who don't realize they aren't invincible.
"If one person realizes they aren't king of the world, then this play is worth it," Ian Geyer said.
The play will make students think about themselves and other people, Frankey-Moehn.
"Voices from the High School" will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 15, at the Monroe High School's Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $2.
It's not a typical play, however.
"Voices from the High School" is a mixture of monologues and two-person scenes that focus on student issues, director Jenny Frankey-Moehn said. The scenes relate to high school students from a student's point of view.
The scenes and monologues tackle such topics as dating, what makes a home, teen suicide and AIDS.
"I found a piece of rope near the washing machine and I got up on a box and tied it to a pipe," Sean Jorgenson says in a moving monologue about suicide. "I don't remember kicking over the box, but they tell me I did."
The play doesn't talk down to students. It talks to them.
"This is very realistic, it's done in a conversational way," play director and teacher Frankey-Moehn said.
The actors, Peter Kelly, Jorgenson, Eric Grau, Ian Geyer, Michael Storey, Tyler Moser, Lucy Hemmerling, Jordan Gehring, Rikka Nelson, Lindsey Buehler, Kelsey Rients and Paige Hoesly, make the situations in the play believable.
The actors couldn't wait to explain why they think the play with appeal to students. Enthusiastically, they explained why they think the play is special.
"This is something teens go through. It's not sugar-coated. It's very real."
"You can connect with the characters."
"Some people might see themselves."
The students began to explain how the scenes in the play are acted out in everyday life. There are teens who have difficult times at home, teens who think about suicide, and teens who don't realize they aren't invincible.
"If one person realizes they aren't king of the world, then this play is worth it," Ian Geyer said.
The play will make students think about themselves and other people, Frankey-Moehn.
"Voices from the High School" will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 15, at the Monroe High School's Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $2.