The Claremont High School Theatre Department will present its annual Student Directed One Act Play Festival on Friday and Saturday, May 9 and 10, at 7:30 p.m.

Themed “Tricks of the Mind,” the show will feature two productions. The first of these is “The Actor’s Nightmare,” a short comedic play by Christopher Durang. CHS students Annika Ellwanger-Chavez and Emerson Dauwalder will direct it. The second is the short drama “Bang Bang You’re Dead” by William Mastrosimone, which will be directed by Lizzie Aguirre.

Mr. Mastrosimone wrote “Bang Bang You’re Dead” in 1999 in order to shine a spotlight on school violence and its causes.  The story follows a troubled protagonist named Josh, a high school student who murders his parents and five classmates. It was inspired by a 1998 shooting at an Oregon High School in which a student killed his parents and two classmates dead and left 25 other students wounded. According to Mr. Mastrosimone, it “is a drama to be performed by kids, for kids.”

The One Act Play Festival will be presented at the Don F. Fruechte Performing Arts Center at Claremont High School, 1601 N. Indian Hill Blvd. Tickets are $8 at the door, $7 if purchased in advance via the ASB store on the CHS website (CHS http://chs-claremont-ca.schoolloop.com)