BY SPENCER BAKER, Staff Reporter

Central is in for a shock when “Polaroid Stories” starts its production in the Milo Smith Tower Theatre

“It’s not your parents’ play,” Patrick Dizney, the director of the show, said. “It’s intense as hell and not for the faint of heart.”

“Polaroid Stories” is written by Naomi Iizuka and tells the stories of Greek mythology as if it was set in the 1990s drug scene. It is a 10-person cast staring Zeus, Hades, Persephone and more.

Dizney explains the show as being about personal transformation.

“It’s a really non-traditional view of our desire to transform and change ourselves into something we are not,” Dizney said.

The play is set on the streets but mirrors the Greek “underworld” of Greek mythology.

Although “Polaroid Stories” is about Greek mythology, Dizney understands that not everybody knows the stories. He also does not want this show to be a lesson on Greek mythology.

“The story will live on its own,” Dizney said.

“Polaroid Stories” is rather difficult to follow for a few reasons. One being that, according to Dizney, characters often times “inhabit” other Greek characters.

The next thing to watch out for is the show does not always happen in chronological order; it jumps around through time.

To complicate things even more, the playwright loves to use verse in the show.

“It’s got a rhythm and poetry that Central has not seen since the last time we did Shakespeare,” senior theater performance major Jordan Whidbey, who is playing the part of Narcissus, said.

Iizuka made the show feel more realistic  by having some of the stories the characters tell within the show be completely made up in order to push their personal agendas. She also interviewed multiple urban kids to get the right atmosphere for the show.

“I get to really be me up here,” Whidbey said. Whidbey is especially excited for this role because he sees himself and Narcissus as storytellers.

Several of the cast members are looking forward to seeing the audience’s reaction to the  show. Whidbey said that some of the scenes can have a sad topic but have an upbeat feel.

“Get ready to laugh and cry at the same time,” Whidbey said.

Senior theatre major Monica Domena will be playing Persephone, who is a prostitute in the play.

“I’m having fun playing a grittier role,” Domena said, adding that the show is “kind of a trip.”

She also said the theatre department does not perform modern shows very often.

“It’s a tragic tale of woe and love,” Dizney said. “By the end, you are left pretty intrigued.”

Dizney said “Polaroid Stories” is fast paced and keeps the action moving, whether it be a drug deal or violence.

“It’s not a traditional look of a play,” Dizney said. “It’s beautiful in a dark way.”