The Cornerstone play I and You focuses on modern day themes and highlights the troubles of dealing with school and falling on hard times.
The play, by Lauren Gunderson, is about Caroline, a high school senior homebound by an illness. Anthony, a classmate with an English assignment on Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, visits Caroline while she’s sick.
Adam Hester, professor of theater, said the play is about communication, human connectedness and how we perceive life and death.
“The playwright has this quote that we have in the program where she says ‘A homework assignment? What’s that about?’ And yet it’s about the big issues of life that become both a lot of conflict and romance at the same time,” Hester said.
Hester, director of the play, said this play was chosen because of the themes involved as well as its relevance to the Cornerstone class.
“It’s about two high school seniors,” Hester said. “That is where these freshmen have just come from, so it will be very relatable.”
Hester said the play is very contemporary and uses language that students will recognize.
“It does have a lot to do with technology and the connectedness of both interpersonal relationships as well as using everything from Instagram to Twitter and Facebook,” Hester said.
Joshua Alexander, junior theatre major from Keller, plays the part of Anthony. Alexander said working on this play was fun but also terrifying.
“Terrifying because there is so much in this play you want to have seen and understood and there is only so much you feel you can do,” Alexander said. “But the fun has far outweighed everything. Everyone working on this play has laughed so much and have really enjoyed each other throughout the process of figuring out how to tell this story.”
Alexander said each person who sees the play will experience it in different ways because of how certain words or ideas impact them.
“But, if I have to choose one thing out the treasure chest of messages in this show, it is that people can get along even if they don’t agree on stuff,” Alexander said. “We don’t all have to see eye to eye in order to work together or be friends.”
The play will run until Saturday in Fulks Theatre and is open to the public. Tickets are $15. Each performance will start at 7:30 p.m. and will run 90 minutes with no intermission, including a talk back at the end.
