Director Jim Perri used to tell actors he worked with, "Wouldn't it be sad if you did a play and nobody came?" Now, he says, his students are experiencing just that.

Faced with a lack of response from area high schools--ones that usually readily book the plays put on by the class--he as well as his cast are somewhat bewildered that school officials would not consider this production a worthwhile one to share with high school students.

Bang Bang You're Dead, by William Mastrosimone, is a no-holds-barred look at what happens when a troubled high school student is pushed over the edge by teasing classmates and demanding family members.

A cautionary tale, and what could be considered a modern version of a Greek tragedy, Bang Bang You're Dead examines the aftermath of a school shooting, as the high school gunman is haunted by the classmates he killed.

On first mention it might appear that this play would be the ideal drama to stage at a high school or junior high school, in light of so many school shootings across the country. Yet the usual number of bookings that FLCC takes for the plays put on by the Rehearsal and Performance class aren't rolling in.

"It was never a case of somebody calling up and saying, 'We can't have this topic here,'" Perri said. "It was always a case of nobody returning a phone call. We don't have a definite reason why we're not being brought in."

Actor Liz Trautman experienced one possible reaction from people who have heard about the play, yet have not seen it. "I talked to my mom and grandparents about the play, and I was trying to explain what it was about, but they kept seeing the bad message, and I [said], 'It's not a bad message; it's a good message. Read the script, come see the play; you don't understand.' So it did make me see how, just hearing about it, people would get a bad perception. But if you see the play or read the script, you understand it's a good message we're trying to send out."

The cast recently performed the 40-minute play for parents and members of the Geneseo school board as Geneseo considered booking a performance for their district's students.

Cast member Christina Frost noted, "We did a discussion with [the school board members and parents from Geneseo]....They listened to what we had to say, and I think it helped them understand more what we were trying to do," but, although some members of the Geneseo audience were brought to tears by the play, Geneseo ultimately decided not to book the show.

According to school social worker Cheryl Howard, "We all agreed that [the play is] very well done, but we all felt that it would require a lot of preparation prior to a performance...and follow-up afterward."

Howard stated that they felt they couldn't devote enough time to the amount of preparation and follow-up it deserved, as they would have booked a performance too close to when final exams are scheduled.

The cast's first performance, at the Clyde-Savannah school district, took place this past Wednesday and, according to English teacher Peggy Foley, it was a worthwhile venture that strongly affected students. Foley noted that the Clyde-Savannah students were quite moved by the play and were still discussing it later in the day.

"[The students] though it was a great thing," Foley said, "[and they felt] that students need to talk about [this issue]. There are a lot of suppressed feelings [that need to be discussed]."

Foley stated that the discussion led by the cast members after the play was appreciated. Although the cast members were concered that some of the Clyde-Savannah students were not eager to join in the discussion, Foley said the students were "quite moved by the play...especially [when discussing] what they would miss [in life] if they were killed, and the other people who [would be] affected [by a school shooting], such as the parents."

Foley also said, "Our principal, Anthony Patanzo, showed a lot of courage going with this play."

It was a courageous act that apparently paid off; the district is looking into booking another performance for the junior high students. The suggestion was made by the sophomores who saw the play; they thought junior high students, including their own siblings, could learn something from the play's message. Foley agreed, saying the "petty junior high things, a lot of kids picking on other kids" might be alleviated by their seeing this play.

The FLCC students in the cast of Bang Bang You're Dead also strongly believe their play can have a positive effect on their audiences, and they hope that more high school and junior high school students will be able to see their production. Yet, with the lack of bookings, they are concerned that the play's message will be kept from teenagers by parents or school authorities who choose to avoid the subject.

Actor Lander Underhill observed, "A lot of the parents who watch this can't see the forest for the trees, because they have kids in seventh, eighth, or ninth grade, and they think, 'I'm in tune with what my kids are doing,' [but] kids don't think the way parents think kids think. It's not a happy little world. Kids have bad thoughts and need to talk to people about it, but they can't open up to the parents because parents don't see through the same eyes."

Sorah Stein, another cast member, concurred. "My mom read the play, and she said, 'Oh, they fictionalize a lot of this. None of this stuff can really happen.' And I said, 'Mom, I felt like this a few years ago.'"

Perri said he's not surprised at some school districts avoiding the play because "we're all in the dark about what to do about [school violence]. [But] I believe that something like this can get adults to understand the way kids think, and kids who are sitting out [in the audience] who identify with Josh [the lead character] might say, 'Somebody does understand me. I'm not alone. I'm not the only one who thinks this way. Somebody else must; otherwise this [play] wouldn't be here.'

"I would hope schools won't dismiss us....I would hope that they'd come to a rehearsal and see the play for themselves or go to the Web site and read about it. It's been performed all over the world, it's won awards at drama festivals, and kids really respond to it."

The one thing all the cast members want to ensure the play communicates is that extreme violence in school is something that cannot be ignored, yet can be avoided with some communication between troubled teens and a parent, counselor, or friend.

"This problem does exist, and not paying attention to it, or dismissing it, will not make it go away," actor Justin Loeb said. "If we really want to make a change, we have to sit down with our kids. We can't just stop them from going to certain movies or keep them from listening to certain types of music. You've got to spend time with the kids. You can't treat the symptoms; you've got to treat the disease."

The Rehearsal and Performance class is available to perform Bang Bang You're Dead Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings through May 11. For more information, contact Jim Perri at (716) 394-3500, ext. 7340.