Directed by Dan Tursi & Ty Marshal

The combined youth programs of Rarely Done Productions (Student Outreach) and Appleseed Productions (Appleseed Academy) is set to present the William Mastrosimone one-act play, “Bang Bang You’re Dead,” which focuses on themes of gun and school violence. Directed by Dan Tursi, Rarely Done Productions Artistic Director, “Bang Bang You’re Dead” involves more than a dozen high school age students from the Central New York region, and will travel to three local venues in May 2013.

Bang Bang You’re Dead is a one act play written by William Mastrosimone in 1999 to raise awareness of school violence and its causes. According to Mastrosimone, it “is a drama to be performed by kids, for kids”. For the most part it’s a tale of an adolescent, Trevor, who gets picked on a lot at school. Not as much as he used to, because the year before he called in a phony bomb threat, complete with a working bomb (minus anything that would actually explode). Because of this, parents and teachers are afraid of him, and his fellow students generally avoid him, except for a group of outcasts called the “Trogs”. As violence by the Jocks against the Trogs escalates, Trevor is the suspect for anything gone wrong, even though he didn’t necessarily do anything. One teacher is willing to give Trevor the benefit of the doubt, and casts him in a highly controversial play about (what else?) school shootings. It all comes to a head as some other students create a plan to bring guns to school and kill everyone in the cafeteria.

There is no ticket cost at the door but donations will be accepted to benefit The Academy’s year round programming, The Q Center at AIDS Community Resources and CONTACT Community Services. The play will also be staged at Jazz Central on May 10th & 11th and at the Boys & Girls Club on May 16th. Due to limited seating reservations are encouraged for all performances. Please call for reservations at 315-546-3224 or visit: www.rarelydone.org/bangbang for more info.

This project is made possible with Project Support funds from the County of Onondaga administered by CNY Arts, Atonement Ministries and the Q Center.