by Cleo Falvey
Talking about rape, expression of sexuality and gender stereotypes isn’t easy, but the spring play, “Good Kids,” hopes to unpack some of the stigmas surrounding rape culture.
“Good Kids,” by Naomi Iizuka, centers around the gang rape of a teenage girl, Chloe (Rachel Speyer Besancon), after a party with underage drinking. The play starts after the party, with all of the characters standing in dim lighting as they deny the part they played in the rape. The scene is interrupted by the narrator (Carla Yacoub), who instructs the play to rewind so that the audience can examine the events leading up to the rape.
As the play progresses, it is revealed to the audience that there are many different opinions about what happened that night. In fact, two different versions of what happened are shown based on supporting characters’ opinions. In one, Connor (Amir Ankori-Karlinski) pressures Chloe into drinking alcohol while still appearing somewhat sober, then pressures her, after initial reluctance, into going for a drive. In another version, Chloe, already drunk, tries to get Connor to drink more alcohol before he invites her to hang out. The juxtaposition of these two moments commented on concepts of femininity and masculinity that often affect society: Chloe was displayed as “slutty” while Connor was displayed as an “average guy.”
The theme of technology is also important in the play, as the rape is recorded and posted on social media due to impaired judgment of the inebriated teens. The audience, which was for the majority adults, at the Thursday night showing, was faced with the fact that we can’t control what goes on social media and how far that information spreads. Once a post is on any social media, it’s up there forever and anyone can view it. “Good Kids” also acknowledged that the rapists’ lives will be affected forever because even though they deleted the incriminating posts and accounts, hackers and others who captured or recorded the video can still access it.
The set and dress were minimal and dark. One exception was for Chloe’s gold pumps, symbolizing female sexuality and the fine line women must walk between being able to dress how she wants and dressing in a way society thinks is too revealing. Chloe’s costume of a short skirt and high heels lead to her actually being blamed for the rape because according to the boys in the play, she presented herself as “asking for it.”
After the rape, which was not shown, the reactions from characters varied greatly and the fallout was immense. It was interesting to watch the backlash: some characters brushed it off, while others, who played larger parts in the drama, tried to hide it. Upstanding characters, such as Skyler (Rianna Cranberg) and Deidre (Carla Yacoub) tried to continue the conversation about rape by bringing it further into the light, while various adults tried to downplay it to protect their children.
After the play was over, the lights came on and the audience and actors were given a chance to unpack and talk through some of the things they had just seen. Led by social worker Jorge Membreno, the conversation dove deeper into some of the mature themes covered in the play, such as rape culture today and what makes a rape a rape, as well as the double standard regarding female and male sexuality.
The play was seamlessly put together and was extremely thoughtful in the way it presented hot button issues that were hard to talk about. The actors were vibrant and seemed excited to present their play. Though not comedic nor action-packed, “Good Kids” did bring important conversations to the high school.
Cleo Falvey can be contacted at [email protected]
