Student-ran play opening this weekend in Moore Hall

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What happens when the real world meets with the online world?

That question will be answered in Moore Hall starting this Thursday, as part of a student-run production directed by Clinton Township senior Scott Freeman.

“Dark Play or Stories for Boys” will run all weekend in Moore Hall’s Theatre on the Side in a tale that illustrates the dark side of the Internet.

Freeman, who last year directed a one-act play named the “Insanity of Mary Girard,” said there are several advantages to producing studio (student-run) shows.

“I can take more risks than the faculty can,” he said. “In all likelihood, Dark Play or Stories for Boys, is a script that would be overlooked by faculty directors due to some of the content of the show.”

Although the play does have a faculty adviser, the director, actors and technicians are in charge of the show’s production. This peer interaction makes for a low-stress environment, Freeman said.

Clinton Township junior Kevin Broomfield will be portraying the play’s main character, Nick, who takes pleasure in reinventing himself over the Internet and deceiving unwary individuals on the other end.

“He gets his entertainment by going online and pretending to be someone he is not,” Broomfield said. “It’s fun for a while, but he gets himself in a situation that he’s not ready to handle.”

In the play, he poses as a girl named Rachel to try and win the interest of Adam, a gullible young man who is looking for love. He is in for a chaotic surprise when he meets Nick in person.

“Adam begins the play as a very naive character,” said Sanford sophomore Chris Krause, who will be portraying Adam. “He’s a lonely kid, didn’t get much attention from his parents, and he kind of lives a lot of his life on the Internet through chats.”

Broomfield said he has enjoyed the student-run aspect of the production, but says it has been a tremendous amount of work.

“It’s tough doing a studio show that isn’t really funded by the university,” he said. “You have to find your own space to rehearse in, take your costume from your own wardrobe and make your own set.”

He said he was nervous at first about working under his friend Freeman, but that it has actually worked out quite well.

Freeman said the audience should expect a show full of emotions. There is some comedy, but it is mainly a dark play.

“Ultimately our goal is to challenge the audience,” he said. “I believe we will accomplish that goal.”