UnCensored

By Derick Sherrier

Have you ever…really been heard?

If you only had one word left, what would you say?

Theatre, a place for exploration and creativity, is where actors can truly discover themselves—UNCENSORED gives us that opportunity.

Members of the MCC Youth Company, comprised entirely of NYC high school students, spend months after school creating monologues, scenes and poems about our lives. Some of these pieces become part of UNCENSORED, the Youth Company’s annual spring performance.

Having a piece in UNCENSORED is an amazing feeling because it is something that you have created, literally leaping from paper to stage and announcing itself. Every word and sentence of each piece is chosen carefully; we fine-tune our pieces and play around with the language and staging in order to find the best representation of our work. Sometimes we find that a piece is stronger when other voices are involved, so a monologue might be broken up for three people to say. The hardest part of the process is hearing that one of your pieces will be cut. It’s frustrating, but sometimes less is more.

Being in UNCENSORED is letting your voice be heard.

How to see the show: April 23-25 & April 30-May 2 at 7pm · $5 student tickets · Cherry Lane Theatre, 38 Commerce Street. Visit http://www.mcctheatre.com/youthcompany/performances.html

Prayer for My Enemy

By Derick Sherrier

What if…it was time to speak the truth?

Prayer for My Enemy is a complicated and captivating play that intertwines many stories and characters. The first two characters we meet are Billy and Tad, childhood friends, who are reconnecting after years apart. The two are in different places: Tad is still stuck in the past, while Billy is trying to move forward with his life. Billy’s step forward is to serve in Iraq, a decision that affects everyone in his life.

Billy’s family is full of secrets. The relationship between Billy’s mother and sister, Marianne, was very realistic. Billy’s mom is always trying to hold the family together, despite the anger and resentment building within. Initially, Marianne also covers her true feelings to hold the family together, but as the play progressed she spoke more honestly.

The young people (Billy, Tad and Marianne) portrayed on stage represented broader generalizations of what it means to be a young person in a family and in society. These characters were affective because they could reach out to audience members of all ages.

Prayer for My Enemy made me think about the different people in my life with whom I am connected. You never know who might be your enemy and who might be your friend.

Prayer for My Enemy by Craig Lucas.

How to See the Show: $15 student rush • Playwrights Horizons, 416 W. 42nd St. Visit www.playwrightshorizons.com for schedule and more information.