Powerful performance–”dark, emotional, thrilling…”

As the lights dimmed inside the dark theater, the crowd filling all 30 seats was completely unaware of the powerful, emotionally heavy roller coaster they had just strapped into. “Bang Bang You’re Dead” is a dark, emotional, thrilling ride that you won’t want to jump off.

This production was performed in the Studio Theatre at Mt. Hood Community College.

The play was created and directed by William Mastrosimone, who wrote the story based on the 1998 school shooting at Thurston High School in Springfield, Oregon. The work created to raise awareness of violence in schools and the potential results of its effects.

‘Bang Bang’ focuses on the life of protagonist Josh, played at MHCC by Jet Black. Josh is a high school student that hasn’t had it easy. He experiences bullying from students and holds frustration towards his parents and teachers for simply pushing him aside when he’s most in need. Josh’s constant irritation results in fatal actions towards several students and even his parents.

What makes Bang Bang You’re Dead so heart-wrenching and captivating is how the story is unraveled. Scenes strategically jump back and forth from the past to the present in a way that can leave anyone in the audience sitting on the edge of their seat.

On top of the well-planned scene transitions, the performers did a spectacular job showing all the emotions involved in this heavy story. You can absolutely feel the actors projecting the tension and the stress the characters are feeling into the crowd, which builds a quick and strong connection between the audience and the story.

The amazing performances, combined with the excellent story and production in Bang Bang You’re Dead, results in an unforgettable experience. It is a professional and polished play, and it’s almost hard to believe such an incredible effort was put together by a student-only MHCC crew.