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PWK drama students produce coming-of-age play 14 Tuesday April 28 2015 ARTS CULTURE THEATRE By DALI CARMICHAEL High schoolers no matter which crowd they run with - be it the nerds the plastics the alternatives or the jocks - they are all just looking for a way to fit in and be accepted for who they are. That was the theme at the heart of Nor- mal a smart and multifaceted play written and produced by PWK high school drama students in Fort Smith which had its debut last weekend. In the same vein as modern coming-of-age stories like Mean Girls Freaks and Geeks and The Breakfast Club Normal intertwines the lives of several students at a moment in time when they are each facing their own set of unique challenges. Ultimately they real- ize there isnt really such a thing as being normal because everyone has their own cross to bear. The production started out as an assign- ment for the Grade 10 and 11 drama classes said Kelsey Smith the teacher who facili- tated and directed the play with her hus- band Sean Smith. The students had an idea of breaking down high school stereotypes she said. To confront and address those stereotypes she wanted her class to dig deep into their own experi- ences. I asked students to write something they could speak honestly about. They came back with their own monologues and scenes and from January up until a week before the performance each piece was put together to create Normal. The plot focuses mostly around three main characters John the new guy in town played by Daniel Wiltzen with a crush on the prettiest girl in school Allie the love interest secretly battling a sub- stance abuse problem in the wake of her recent transition to a foster home personi- fied by Isabella Bourque and Tyler an out gay teen who is mercilessly bullied by his peers until he takes his own life played by Shawn Tourangeau. Text message conversations read aloud by the characters - complete with abbrevi- ated txt talk and emojis - serve as smooth transitions between scenes and distinctly set the story in contemporary times. The device provides many opportunities for comic re- lief though it also illuminates the pervasive and inescapable nature of modern bullying a phenomenon where kids are harassed at all hours in their homes through cell phone and internet interactions. Overall Normal tackles some dark mate- rial. A monologue by Allie explains her ten- dency to drink away her pain. A spoken-word delivery of Tylers suicide note paints him as a martyr for other gay and bullied teens and pleads for youth to be more accepting of their peers differences. However the writers said they were only trying to reflect the realities some students face. I hope it was believable because thats what the life of a teenager is Bourque said. Sometimes people forget issues are happen- ing so we wanted to draw attention to them. The students enjoyed the overall experi- ence of highlighting issues that matter to them and many look forward to creating their own play again next year. It was awesome to put it all together. It was pretty difficult not only to write the story but to intertwine those characters Wiltzen said as he reflected on the performance. Its hard for people to fit in. Being welcoming is the first step to solving the biggest problem of all bullying. It was a lot of work but it was still amaz- ing and so worth it Tourangeau said giv- ing praise to the Smiths for their help and dedication as directors. I wanted to high- light teenage suicide because its real and it happens everywhere. Its not a thing thats talked about enough. PhotosDaliCarmichael Grade 10 and 11 students from PWK High School wrote produced and preformed their own school play this year. Like any good coming of age story Normal confronts teenage struggles. Shawn Tourangeau plays Tyler a gay teen constantly harassed by bullies until he takes his own life. Tourangeau wants to draw attention to the issue of teenage suicide to help prevent it. John the new kid acted by Daniel Wiltzen front gets picked on by bullies played by Riley Mandeville-Hessdorfer left Ian Gauthier and Anthony Vermillion.