by Pamela Herrington
Daily Lobo
"The Day They Shot John Lennon," is a powerful play focusing on a tragic event that joined people together and opens this Friday at the Theatre X.
The show was written by James McLure, directed by Amber LeRae Earls and features UNM actors Lisa Fenstermacher, Rainy Fields, Derek Sanchez, Brian Dewire, Robert Douglas, Alfred MonDragon, Tyler Kent, Liam Rapson and Brian Lucero.
The play is comprised of the encounters that emerge between a group of nine strangers who assembled at the site of Lennon's assassination on Dec. 9, 1980, the day after Lennon was killed. Through these interactions, ranging from humorous to somber, the playwright encourages the audience to look deeply at our culture, our heroes and ourselves. McLure's message is that we must seek a connection between our fellow humans in order to recover from tragic events.
In the play, many of the characters come to the site of Lennon's death because they feel drawn by an unknown force, while others happen to be in the area and are unable to leave because of the emotions the event provokes.
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"Everyone is drawn to this place by something unseen," Dewire said.
Dewire plays Mike, a teenager in the '80s who is extremely depressed by Lennon's murder.
"In a tragedy like this, people come together and meet because they feel that it's something they have to do," Dewire said. "They want to talk about it. They want to know why. They want to see what they can do to help."
He said the play portrays people's dependency on each other and the importance of coming together to overcome tragedies.
Douglas, who plays Larry, said that although Lennon's death was a sad event, it "allowed people who otherwise would never meet or talk to each other to come together."
The play encourages people to look at their own interactions with others.
"I hope that people leave with more of an understanding about themselves and a different outlook on life," he said.
Lucero, who plays Brian, spoke about the problems that people have during everyday interactions.
"This show is about the compartments and the boxes we put ourselves in regarding our lifestyles and how we don't mix and match," he said. "When it's time for us to gel together, it almost seems like it's not going to happen. There are struggles that we go through just to get along."
MonDragon, who plays Morris, encourages people who were directly affected by Lennon's death and those who wish to learn more about Lennon to come to the show. Accuracy is also a strong point for MonDragon.
"For me, I remember the time and it brings back a lot of memories," he said. "I'm impressed by how accurate the play is."
Sanchez, who plays Kevin, hopes that this play will encourage people to break down any stereotypes they hold.
"I was disturbed by the thoughts that my character has," said Kent, who plays Silvio, a Vietnam Veteran. "Hopefully, I won't come across as a stereotype."
Fenstermacher, who plays Fran, hopes that people will leave with an optimistic feeling. "The message of this show is love. Bad things happen to all people, but in the end, loves conquers all."
The play opens on Friday and runs at 7:30 p.m. through Sept. 13. Next week performances are Wednesday through Saturday. Tickets are $7 for general admission and $5 for students.
