“Okay, guys, we are going to have a SADD play now,” said senior Greg Parker, president and founder of Students Against Destructive Decisions, from the short stage in Shackleford Auditorium, introducing his idea from last semester to a waiting audience of his peers who were getting a wellness seminar credit for the event.  Drama Club Co-President Sasha Edwards also welcomed students to the two-act performance focusing on domestic violence, which she scripted and co-directed with Parker.

“We decided to take simple scenarios and show how they can act out.  We feel it’s something that isn’t talked about enough,” said Edwards, a senior. The 15-minute play dealt with abusive relationships in both the context of high school dating and marriage. From the viewpoints of a struggling victim and children witnessing their parents arguments, the five actors, Noah McKone, Brenna Paola, Katie Stovall, Rachael Vance, Mayukh Datta and Valerie McGregor, presented “how real domestic violence is,” according to Parker.

In the first act, Paola and McKone portrayed a couple caught in a possessive relationship.  Their happy song of “We go together like peanut butter and jelly” quickly descended into shouts and frantic racing through the audience. With light effects to intensify the situation, Paola was left contemplating her situation after her boyfriend left her sobbing on the ground.

“Yelling at me like that, talking to me like I’m trash and throwing me down . . . maybe it won’t happen again, but who am I kidding?” said Paola, enacting a dilemma of domestic violence.

The second act demonstrated domestic violence in a family setting where Stovall and Vance, playing young children, struggled to grasp the reality of their situation.  The scene also dealt with gender stereotypes in abusive relationships as McGregor’s character tormented her husband to the point of bloodshed. During a freeze frame, Datta’s character reflected on his situation and ideal home. As the act ended and the play concluded, Datta lay on the floor covered in blood while Vance cried, “My mommy killed my daddy!”

Due to a confusion of start times, the first act was actually performed twice.  After a quick reset of the set, impeded only by sticky fake blood made of corn syrup, Paola and McKone took the stage again, reciting their lines for students who missed the opening performance and others who wanted to rewatch.

When Parker first thought of the idea, the performers planned on presenting their work in October to promote Domestic Violence Awareness Month and “to raise awareness for an issue that is long overdue its voice,” according to Parker.  The collaborative stage performance was also to mark the first year of SADD club at MSMS.

The play also marked Edwards first time acting as playwright for “such a heavy topic.”  “[Play writing] is a passion of mine, but right now it’s kind of a toss up,” she said.  Parker added, “She has done so much work on this.”

While the collaboration is over with the play’s presentation, the Drama Club plans to present another play later in the spring semester.  SADD Club is also looking forward to ending its first year at MSMS with other activities.