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“God of Carnage” does not take place in a typical theater; the audience surrounds the set on three sides. Director Tom Kremer picked this space specifically for its resemblance to a certain aggressive sporting location 鈥� it looks like a boxing ring.

Find out why that allusion makes total sense, and what happens when a civilized conversation among four adults turns to all-out bedlam, in “God of Carnage,” showing at Studio A in the Fine Arts Building at 8 p.m. Oct. 15-17, and 22-24, and 2 p.m. Oct. 17, 24 and 25. Tickets are $14, public; $12, faculty/staff/alumni/seniors; and $8, students.

This black comedy by Yasmina Reza tells the story of two sets of parents who meet up to cordially discuss a playground altercation between their sons. The conversation turns to a heated philosophical debate, however, and the night soon devolves into chaos.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a very sensitive topic, about people鈥檚 children, so things start to get out of hand, and you start getting deeper into social norms and how you should behave in society,鈥� said senior Stephanie Gomerez, who plays Veronica Novak. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a constant battle of different ideals. Everybody has such different views and that鈥檚 how we get the clashing of ideas and the discussions and the battles of what is right.鈥�

Each character in “God of Carnage” looks at the world through a unique philosophical lens. Veronica, who is writing a book about the conflict in Darfur, thinks that the world should do all it can to help this war-torn region, while Alan Raleigh (played by Thomas Mackin) thinks such attempts are futile; he believes in the God of Carnage.

鈥淚 believe that carnage is what decides things,鈥� Mackin said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about domination and subjugation, it鈥檚 not about holding hands. Kids hit each other, kids fight. It鈥檚 what they do. It鈥檚 a law of life. The God of Carnage, what I believe in, is the law of life.鈥�

With such disparate viewpoints coming to a head, a simple conversation about a playground altercation begins to take on much heavier themes. 

鈥淎ll of a sudden, people are comparing grenade-launching 12-year-olds to 11-year-olds who are hitting each other with sticks,鈥� said sophomore Spencer Rosner, who plays Michael Novak.

鈥淚t鈥檚 funny just thinking of the four most polar opposite people and shoving them in a room together where they cannot escape and just seeing what is going to come out of their mouths,鈥� Gomerez said.

Gomerez has never performed in such a small space before. She is used to the traditional proscenium stage, which offers actors the opportunity to 鈥渃heat out.鈥� But there鈥檚 nowhere to hide in Studio A.

鈥淲e are standing a few measly feet away from the audience. It just puts more on us to be more specific in our choices,鈥� she said. 鈥淣othing gets by, because they can see it, whereas on a different stage they might not catch something. But here it鈥檚 a lot of work.鈥�

With the play running at 1 hour and 25 minutes, maintaining one鈥檚 character surrounded by an audience can be a daunting task.

鈥淚t requires an amazing amount of energy and concentration from them,鈥� Kremer said. 鈥淵ou lose your concentration for a second, and you may hide it from that side of the audience, but this side of the audience is going to see it.鈥�

While the show and its unorthodox set may be challenging, they also allow each actor to shine.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really nice that we are all on stage for the whole show, basically,鈥� said senior Emily Mahoney, who plays Annette Raleigh. 鈥淎nd because the cast is so small, we get a lot of individual attention and direction. That鈥檚 really helpful.鈥�

The small size of the cast actually allowed the actors to grow closer together. The cast often hangs out together (Mackin and Mahoney live together in an apartment in 91社区). According to Kremer, that camaraderie offstage makes them such great foils for each other onstage. 

鈥淚t was particularly important in this play to make sure the working atmosphere was really light and jokey and funny,鈥� Kremer said. 鈥淏ecause if they get along really well, that frees them up to be incredibly nasty to each other.鈥�

Kremer and the cast hope to provide people with more than just laughs and mania: They hope for the audience to leave with questions.

鈥淭heater can only fulfill its social responsibility if the audience can reflect back to themselves when they leave and go: 鈥榃ho am I? Which side do I tend to lean on?鈥欌�� Kremer said. 鈥溾�橝m I more of an Alan? Or am I more of a Veronica? And have I been too much Alan lately? Maybe I have been too Veronica lately?鈥� Hopefully they leave with that, and hopefully we鈥檝e done our job, because we鈥檝e made them think.鈥�

A funny play that makes you think. That鈥檚 a solid way to spend 90 minutes, if you ask Rosner.

鈥淵ou come in here, you enter a different world and you leave with a bunch of questions,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t seems like a great way to spend a Saturday night. Or a Friday. Or a Sunday matinee, also.鈥�