Theatergoers know Mike Thomas because he's funny. He's that guy in Phunbags comedy improv and on stages and screens all over Northwest Arkansas.
But he's also a drama teacher at Fayetteville High School, and he's selected a decidely serious play for the winter time slot. Titled "The Center of the Universe," it's a contemporary script coupled with a selection of monologues, all of them looking at the cruelty of the human animal -- and eventually, how victims and society might heal.
FAQ
‘The Center of the Universe’
WHEN — 7 p.m. Saturday & 2 p.m. Sunday
WHERE — Fayetteville High School Performing Arts Center
COST — $7-$8
INFO — 445-1193
"The material is very heavy. It's not going to make you feel good to watch it," says Megan Stratton, who plays Maria, the only character seen throughout the show. "But at the same time, I hope that people understand the underlying themes of hope."
Written by Bruce Gevirtzman, "The Center of the Universe" was introduced by educational theater company Phantom Projects at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts in California. It was conceived on the heels of the Columbine (Colo.) High School shooting in 1999.
Until the school shooting, Phantom Projects' most requested plays for middle and high schools were those that dramatized pro-abstinence, anti-drug and anti-alcohol messages, the Los Angeles Times reported in January 2000.
"But after the Colorado tragedy -- 'almost overnight,' said artistic director Steve Cisneros -- the company began receiving requests from teachers and students for a school play with a strong message about youth violence," Lynne Heffley wrote.
"It hits you over the head, this whole program does," Cisneros said of that production. "We're hoping, especially by having young actors up there, that this will make it very real to them."
Thomas says that has certainly happened at FHS.
"They seem to know they're doing something important," he says of the cast. "There have been nights at rehearsal when I've shed tears and had chill bumps. The kids have risen to the occasion."
The premise of the play revolves around how Megan's character, Maria, a recent high school graduate with a bright future, is caught up in a random act of violence that changes her life. But history also unfolds around her in flashbacks to "times in history when people didn't treat each other so kindly," Thomas says, times when slavery was prevalent, times like the Holocaust. Projected images remember those times above the heads of the actors, who face the audience, "facing the future," as Thomas describes it.
The play, originally intended for school audiences, runs about 45 to 50 minutes. Thomas has added the monologues -- seven of them, some original, including one by FHS senior Sam Murphey and two by Thomas himself -- at the beginning. The titles are "War," "Lockdown," "Ground Zero," "We're Coming," "X-Man," Playground" and "Forgiving the Devil." One of his favorite messages comes from his monologue "We're Coming":
"Society, open up your doors 'cause here we come, and we're all different even if we look the same. Are you ready?"
The whole lesson of the play is a simple one, Megan agrees.
"Really the biggest theme of the show is everyone is their own person with their own hopes and dreams," she says. "Recognizing the humanity in every single person is the key to stopping all the terrible things in the world."
Of course, Megan thinks storytelling can contribute to positive change.
"I want to pursue acting and movie making because I think movies are really influential." she says. "It's kind of ignorant to believe the media doesn't influence people on a mass scale. I want to make films that promote seeing the beauty in the world and other people.
"You can do anything if you really want to, and caring is always better," she adds. "I feel like it's a decision to hate. I know it sounds cliche, but love conquers all."
NAN What's Up on 01/29/2016