Once upon a time, there was a boy who arranged his own murder.
It might sound like fiction, but it actually happened in Manchester, England, a few years ago. It was all over the news and is the event that inspired a play about teenagers in the cyberworld. In “Dark Play or Stories for Boys,” one boy manipulates another into falling in love with a fictional woman. The stakes are high, and the consequences are ultimately tragic as events spiral out of control.
The play is based on true events, as well as research into the lives of teens on the Internet. Surveys have shown that many teenagers8212;and people in general8212;participate in online activities that bleed into their real lives.
Adam posts in a chat room that he wants only “to fall in love.” Nick, attracted by his innocence, happily obliges by introducing him to “Rachel,” a fictional woman, and her fictional friends. In the real version of the story, this relationship eventually led to Adam attempting to kill Nick at Nick’s own instigation.
When police began to piece together the case background, they found that the boys had traded sexual favors and porn online together for years, and that Nick had not only pretended to be Rachel, but also a bevy of other people, including a Scotland Yard agent intent on getting Adam to kill his progenitor.
The title takes its name from Nick’s drama teacher, who introduces the idea of “a dark play”: a theatre game in which some participants know they’re playing a game, while others do not. It is the idea of such a game that entices Nick to embark on his online quest. Nick knows that he is in a game, but how long can the game last?
Interestingly, this story is not something that could occur only in this day and age.
“I’d hate for people to kind of look at it as a kind of morality tale, because I don’t think it is; I really think it’s a teenage love story that could’ve happened in 1950,” said playwright Carlos Murillo in a press release. “It’s “A Rebel Without A Cause’ in its own way, but instead of playing chicken with cars, it’s playing chicken on the Internet.”
The Salt Lake Acting Company is producing “Dark Play or Stories for Boys” beginning this month. The cast includes actors Jesse Pepe (Nick) and Michael Gardner (Adam), as well as Gabi Caro, Brenda Sue Cowley and Jay Perry in supporting roles. Salt Lake City last saw Pepe, a Weber State student, in SLAC’s last play, “Six Years,” while Gardner played Mercutio in Pinnacle Acting Company’s recent “Romeo and Juliet.”
“Dark Play or Stories for Boys” is recommended for mature audiences8212;in keeping with the story, there is sexual content and strong language.
In real life, Nick did not die from his planned murder. But will art imitate life?
“Dark Play or Stories for Boys” runs from Jan. 30 through Feb. 22. Performances are Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. with one Saturday matinee Feb. 21 at 2 p.m. Tickets vary in price from $23 to $32, depending on the performance. Discounts are available for students, seniors and those 30 and under. For tickets and discount prices, call 801-363-SLAC or visit www.saltlakeactingcompany.org.
