BWW Preview: Should We Celebrate or Condemn CARRIE?

In an era of mass school killings, it would appear that Carrie White was ahead of her time. Initially, entering the scene in Stephen King's book Carrie in 1974, transferring to silver screen in '76 and debuting on stage in '88 - Carrie is the story of a high school student who goes to a dance and kills her classmates. Now, Utah Repertory Theater Company is staging the regional premiere of this chilling musical adaptation of Carrie's story.

In the year 2015, we are witnessing a nearly fivefold increase in incidents of violence on school grounds. Headlines of bullying, abuse, hate and death fill the newspapers daily. These exact themes are covered in Utah Rep's production of Carrie. As a nation (and as an audience), we weep for the pain and suffering experienced, often asking why this is happening.

The Oregon shooting just weeks ago continued a trend of not naming the gunman. Not letting the bad guy gain notoriety. We rage against the shooters, shake our heads in disbelief, and villainize them in the media.

Yet, an interesting thing occurs when it comes to the story of Carrie, the attacker is celebrated and admired. Natalia Noble, who plays Carrie White in Utah Rep's production, discovered an alarming reaction to the mass murder Carrie commits. Noble "watched YouTube videos of the 'destruction' scenes from the numerous film adaptations of the novel [Carrie], and there was one disturbing similarity in nearly every comment--everyone cheered Carrie as their personal hero: 'I wish I could do that to my bully/if I had powers I'd make them pay/God, I loved watching that bitch burn...'"

And here is the conundrum: in Oregon we condemn the attacker yet in Carrie people tend to celebrate her. Why is that?

"Carrie is as much of a tragedy as horror story," Says Utah Rep director Johnny Hebda. "Carrie is driven to the edge and lashes out because of the extreme bullying she experiences at home and at school." Is it any wonder or surprise when young, impressionable, bullied and abused children fight violence with violence? After all, isn't that we are teaching them by saying "kids will be kids" when they are bullied, or by leaving them in abusive homes when an imperfect system abandons them? We love our revenge movies and we celebrate the viral videos of kids punching their bullies and then act shocked when one of our youth takes it to the next level.

The contrast of celebrating and condemning the same behavior amidst different circumstances is a theme found with other characters in this production as well. In recent headlines, Kim Davis made the news for denying marriage licenses to gay couples because of her religious beliefs and many people celebrated her. Yet, Carrie's mother forces her beliefs onto her own daughter in the show and audiences tend to condemn her for it. Rachel Shull (who plays Margaret White at Utah Rep) comments that "There is a paradoxical nature of reality- there are as many different views of 'truth' as there are people. You may KNOW what you believe is true, but others feel the same about what THEY believe."

So then, it seems that Utah Rep's Carrie may bring up more questions than answers. Who are the victims and who are the villains? In what situations do we condemn and celebrate the same behavior? Is it possible to have empathy for a killer, disgust for a victim, and repulsion for a mother who is acting on faith? Who is to blame in senseless acts of violence - the abusive parent, the hateful bully, the pained attacker? These and many more questions are presented and left to you, the audience, to answer.

At the end of the night, blood will be spilt, will you cheer or cringe at the destruction? Maybe you'll do both... Either way, the only way to know is to attend Carrie.

For more information, visit UtahRep.org, and ticket purchases can be made at UtahRep.org/tickets.

PERFORMANCE DATES:
Friday, October 30 at 7:30 PM, Saturday, October 31 at 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM, Sunday, November 1 at 3 PM, Thursday, November 5 at 7:30 PM, Friday, November 6 at 7:30 PM, Saturday, November 7 at 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM, Sunday, November 8 at 3:00 PM, Thursday, November 12 at 7:30 PM, Friday, November 13 at 7:30 PM, Saturday, November 14 at 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM, Sunday, November 15 at 3:00 PM.

Special Costume Nights and Costume Contests on Halloween performances and Friday, November 13.

PERFORMANCE VENUE:
The Gateway Mall - 90 S Rio Grande St., Salt Lake City, Utah
COST:
$15-$18 in advance; $17-$20 at door.