“Project Fear (and All the Feels),” Michelle Kholos Brooks's new play, premiered at Santa Monica College (SMC). It introduced itself to the audience with a scream.

That’s not figurative. In the play's opening line, Xcellen Connor, playing Curtis, shouts at the top of his lungs, “I am sick of living through unprecedented times.” This bold opening, backed by powerful vocal chords, showcases both the strengths and weaknesses of the documentary-style play.

“Project Fear” was written by Brooks after interviewing dozens of teenagers across the country from all different races, genders, political leanings, sexualities, and economic backgrounds. “Arranged” might be a better word for it, as every line in the play is a direct quote from the interviewed teens.

The documentary format of the play lends strength by ensuring that there’s little room for insensitivity or misrepresentation within the narrative. When an actor directly recites the words of a teen who’s experienced homelessness, it carries an authenticity that a work of fiction is often unable to capture. Even vocal flubs during these interviews were kept in, both for accuracy and to convey that these are real children experiencing these problems.

On the flip side, using quotes from dozens of interviews about hundreds of different incidents largely drains the play of drama and any narrative throughline. Topics drift in and out of the play, sometimes returning and sometimes never being mentioned again.

The play makes a fascinating choice not to name any of the adolescents the actors portray. Names can only be found in the playbill, and to put a name to the face, audience members have to either know who the actors are beforehand or use context clues while watching and referring back to the playbill’s short descriptions.

The most interesting parts of the play are when the group moves to the sidelines, and one actor steps center stage to perform an extended monologue about their character’s experiences. First, when Alexa Maghloubi, as Isabelle recounts living through the Boston Marathon Bombing. Again, when Naanay Berhanu, as Samantha tells the story of a shooting she lived through, watching her friends die next to her and later realizing she had also been hit. Lastly, when Dani Gonzalez, as Amelia, recalls being homeless with the rest of her family for several months while attending high school.

The school shooting story, in particular, stands out because Santa Monica College tragically endured its own school shooting in 2013. In that incident, six people were killed, including the shooter, and four were injured. Although the horrific event happened years ago, Project Fear director Aric Martin vividly remembers that day.

“We wanted to honor the people that went through that experience,” Martin said. In a play about the fears of the current generation, it’s hard to imagine any fear overshadowing the very real possibility of living through a shooting. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, since 2013, there have been over 1600 school shootings across the country. As personal as the story is to Santa Monica College, the issue is universal.

Martin continued, saying that it's not only students who are worried about violence. “The play was more to give voice to fears that are more universal. I don’t even necessarily think just this generation,” said Martin. “I mean, I definitely found, even being a little bit older than the characters here, ‘Yeah, I think those things too.’”

Martin explained the play was not meant to bring people down but to get people talking productively. “The most powerful thing about the play is it’s this safe space to talk about difficult subjects. Maybe in a utopian way, to show a kind of dream place where these kids can talk about these kinds of things that’s peaceful, and not in a way where the option for violence is really there,” Martin said.

However, the play is by no means entirely about death and loss. Large portions of the play are dedicated to personal identity, particularly when it comes to sexuality.

If the play had a leading man, it would be TangBung Be playing the role of Liam. The character of Liam is the first male character on the playbill and likely the first that audience members will be able to connect a character description to. Liam is a young gay teen who has a close circle of friends but is constantly mocked and criticized by those outside his group for being a part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Be explained that he felt a personal connection to the role. “That character’s kinda similar to my experience, so I understand it, it’s kinda easy for me to portray him. Every gay person has been through that part.” Be said in reference to the slurs those who identify as LGBTQIA+ have faced being called.

Although there is no direct arc for the character of Liam, there is an implied history in the way his lines are arranged against everyone else’s. Liam is confident in his identity and open about his struggles despite only being 14 at the time of his interview. While he’s open about unique issues due to being openly gay as a young teen, his battle with depression and anxiety can be relatable to everyone.

In the opening of the second act, there are two brief moments where the entire cast is asked if they liked middle school—a unanimous “NO” is voiced by the group. They are then asked if they have anxiety, and all hands go up. This is a funny joke, but it is also not really a joke.

Be found the themes of depression and anxiety extremely important to discuss in the play. “We never actually say about, like, our depression and stuff. So, those kids that open up their shells and talk about it are really brave,” Be said.

Be said he welcomes the idea of providing more documentary-style plays, both at SMC and in the world, saying, “There should be more plays based on people’s experiences—I believe that a lot of people relate to some characters and what they went through, so that would help them.”

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