Northampton Community College Theatre Departments "The Burn" is an intriguing plays that poses the concept that the Salem witch hunts of the 17th century are not so different from modern day cyberbullying.
The play, written by Chicago playwright Phillip Dawkins and which premiered in 2018, is a jarring slice of present-day reality as a group of high school girls speak aloud their toxic texts at breakneck speed while they navigate a drama class in which they are studying Arthur Millers classic play "The Crucible."
Tatiana Torres is mercurial as Mercedes, the smartest girl in the class who doesnt fit in in with the other girls social group. Torres Mercedes is aware she is an outsider but wears it like a badge of honor. A self-avowed Christian, she tries to rise above the pettiness of the girls nasty gossiping but crashes the hardest when she gives in to the evil lure of revenge. She chillingly channels the words of Abigail, the young girl accusing others of witchcraft in a school production of "The Crucible."
Juanita-Renay Gray is inspired as Tara, the popular girl who is casually cruel as she leads the others in online mocking of Mercedes. She makes Tara more than just a caricature of the "mean girl" endowing the character with intelligence and cold self-awareness.
A highlight is when she tells the other girls how in the 17th century suspected witches were burned at the stake to determine if they were witches. If they survived the flames. It proved they were witches. If not, they were innocent, but of course, dead. She ends the monologue with an icy "sorry, not sorry."
Olivia Byrne is humorously gawky as Andi, the jock whos not as bright as the others. She follows Tara around like a lovesick puppy, while trying to be cool by throwing out gangster slang. It is her overeager attempt to impress Tara, that causes the final crash and burn that envelopes all the girls.
Shauna is the girl who tries to have it both ways “ being friendly with Mercedes, while still engaging with the other girls in their toxic texting. Tamara Decker makes Shauna well meaning, but in the end, not strong enough to influence the other girls behavior.
Michael Sheridan is engaging and appealingly awkward as the hapless teacher trying to reach each of these girls in different ways through the use of theater. He tries to inspire Mercedes, as well as help keep Tara and Andi from failing, all while battling his own personal demons.
An interesting aspect of the show is a screen showing the girls texts in real time as their fingers fly on their phones. Although at times, the onslaught of OMGs, WTFs and STFUs seem a bit much.
"The Burn" continues at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 19, 20, 22 and 2 p.m. Nov. 21 live in a NCC's Norman Roberts Lab Theatre, on Northampton Community Colleges Bethlehem Township campus.
Masks are required for audience members.
Tickets are $5. All seats are general admission. Roberts Lab Theatre is in Kopecek Hall, 3835 Green Pond Rd., Bethlehem.
For information, go to ncctix.org/tickets, or call 484-484-3412.