Sex, drugs, money, hedonism and nihilism vie for the souls of three 20-somethings onstage when the Undergraduate Theatre Association opens its production of “This Is Our Youth” on Thursday. Directed by University of Wisconsin junior Charlie Bauer, the show hopes to explore the universal hilarities and dangers of college-age life while displaying the depth of undergraduate talent at the university.
Written by Kenneth Lonergan, “This Is Our Youth” details the interaction between Warren (UW junior Andy Ortman), Dennis (UW sophomore John Hause) and Jessica (UW senior Paloma Nozicka) over the course of a few days. The play, set during the Reagan era, occurs entirely within the walls of Dennis’ apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
When Warren is kicked out of his house by his domineering father, he seeks refuge with his drug-dealing buddy Dennis, who eventually warms up to the idea of a temporary roommate. Especially after learning Warren left home with $15,000 of his father’s money. The rest of the drama — and a surprising amount of comedy — unfolds as the two young men try to invest the money in a drug deal that will ideally pay Warren’s violent father back before he notices the money is gone and turn a nice profit for the pair.
Matters become complicated when Warren, enraptured with Dennis’ beautiful friend Jessica, uses more of the money in an attempt to buy her favor. A series of confrontations follow as the characters empty their souls when the anxieties and frustrations created by the high-stakes drug deal and their destructive lifestyles become too great.
While not everyone who attends school at UW will understand what it is like to grow up in Manhattan, the play raises many moral, spiritual and philosophical questions that should resonate with any college-aged audience.
“I think the play has a lot to say about this awkward stage where you’ve just gotten out of high school, and you’re still basically a kid, and you’re thrown out into the world and expected to become successful,” Hause said.
“It’s about the jump from adolescence to adulthood. … I think it’s one of the most relevant plays out there for people our age,” Ortman added.
Even the language of the play should be comfortable for anyone who grew up in the ’80s or ’90s.
“I think one of the things about this play is that it’s written so naturally. So every time we say ‘um’ or ‘like,’ it’s actually written in the script. It was kind of odd seeing that in a script at first, but it sounds so natural,” Nozicka explained.
Director Charlie Bauer has focused much of his direction on teasing out the timeless qualities of this rite of passage story.
“It’s not a play about the ’80s,” Bauer said. “I was asked if I was going to update the show. They had Ronald Reagan, we have George Bush; they had recession, we have recession. History is cyclical, so I didn’t need to [update the show]. The play isn’t about the ’80s; it’s about being stuck. It’s about changing your major, standing there with the world in front of you trying to decide what your future will be, and some people never make that decision. It’s about death and sex and relationships. That’s timeless.”
Backed by a competent, professional and entirely undergraduate production staff, Bauer has been pushing his cast to its limits to ensure maximal performances and overall show quality.
“It’s been very professional,” Nozicka said. “Charlie Bauer is doing an amazing job of keeping this as close to a [University Theatre] show as he can.”
With a great initial run through, a solid cast and strong material, “This Is Our Youth” is poised for success when it opens Thursday. The material should be immediately accessible to the younger audience found on campus. With a great mix of humorous, awkward and tense moments, the play should provide all who choose to see it with a very worthwhile evening.
“This Is Our Youth” runs Thursday, Nov. 21, through Saturday, Nov. 23, at 7:30 in the Hemsley Theatre. Student tickets cost $5 and can be purchased from the Vilas or Union Theater box offices.
