Bang Bang You’re Dead is largely based on a shooting in Oregon in 1998, in which a fifteen-year old boy killed his parents and then two of his fellow high school pupils, injuring many others at the same time, although it also contains references to other high school shootings of the same period. Its purpose is to raise awareness of the beginnings of school violence, which are not always easily seen.
The play is about a boy named Josh who is in prison after killing his parents and five classmates. The ghosts of those classmates demand to know why he killed them . Josh refuses to answer so the ghosts seize Josh and push him into a coffin. They only let him out after he begs them and he then talks to them. They remind him of his first hunting trip when he killed a buck, even though he was almost overcome by the beauty of the animal. Afterwards he bitterly regretted killing it but at the same time enjoyed the respect he received from other hunters.
The ghosts then recount their final day at school, which ends with Josh killing his parents and the five classmates. Their stories show how the initial cause was a trivial argument between Josh and another boy, which then escalated out of control. Or perhaps it had started years before, when Josh was first bullied and made fun of, causing him immense pain which nobody had ever taken seriously.
The play powerfully evokes a sense of great loss for those whose lives were cut short – the chances of going to college, travelling the world, falling in love and having families. However, it also shows that Josh too has lost everything – he will now spend the rest of his life in prison and will never be able to do any of the things he’d dreamed about. Josh exclaims “I never thought I was taking away all that!”
The intentions of the writer are that this play will reach out to potential killers and make them pause before taking their final step and realise what it means to kill someone. It also tells us that people shouldn’t be excluded or laughed at just because they’re a little bit different or slow.
Overall, this is a very moving and thought-provoking production.
The play is about a boy named Josh who is in prison after killing his parents and five classmates. The ghosts of those classmates demand to know why he killed them . Josh refuses to answer so the ghosts seize Josh and push him into a coffin. They only let him out after he begs them and he then talks to them. They remind him of his first hunting trip when he killed a buck, even though he was almost overcome by the beauty of the animal. Afterwards he bitterly regretted killing it but at the same time enjoyed the respect he received from other hunters.
The ghosts then recount their final day at school, which ends with Josh killing his parents and the five classmates. Their stories show how the initial cause was a trivial argument between Josh and another boy, which then escalated out of control. Or perhaps it had started years before, when Josh was first bullied and made fun of, causing him immense pain which nobody had ever taken seriously.
The play powerfully evokes a sense of great loss for those whose lives were cut short – the chances of going to college, travelling the world, falling in love and having families. However, it also shows that Josh too has lost everything – he will now spend the rest of his life in prison and will never be able to do any of the things he’d dreamed about. Josh exclaims “I never thought I was taking away all that!”
The intentions of the writer are that this play will reach out to potential killers and make them pause before taking their final step and realise what it means to kill someone. It also tells us that people shouldn’t be excluded or laughed at just because they’re a little bit different or slow.
Overall, this is a very moving and thought-provoking production.
Four stars out of Five!!!
We also got a mention in the Scotsman
Winner By Submission |   |
By Joyce McMillan Published: 9/8/2010 |  |
For raw realism about the whole issue of the abuse of women in our mediated culture, you might as well see Winner By Submission at C, by the American student group Red Chair Players West.
In this production of William Mastrosimone's short play, the kids themselves can express how they feel about the world of abusive images - some of them home-made - that are available at the click of a mouse, and they do it with memorable passion, and some skill.
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Beck Roof found this notice on the web as well. We're one of their"top picks":
Bang Bang You’re Dead / Winner by Submission
Multi Fringe First-winning Red Chair Players (East and West) return with an updated version of William Mastrosimone’s pacifistic Bang Bang You’re Dead and his new play Winner by Submission, which explores the “dark and dangerous side of uninhibited sex”. Mastrosimone fans can take them both in during a single afternoon.
Multi Fringe First-winning Red Chair Players (East and West) return with an updated version of William Mastrosimone’s pacifistic Bang Bang You’re Dead and his new play Winner by Submission, which explores the “dark and dangerous side of uninhibited sex”. Mastrosimone fans can take them both in during a single afternoon.
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We hope to capitalize on the good press tomorrow with stickers on our flyers and passing out a few free tickets. We had nearly 30 in for BBYD today. Only 4 for WBS, but one of them was a friend of mine from Oregon! A fellow drama teacher who's doing a show here. The cast from his show will come tomorrow and hopefully, the 3 star review from the Scotsman will push people over the edge enough to come see WBS.
YAY for Red Chair Players West!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHere, here! Glad to hear and feel the cheer! Cheerio!
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