Cyclorama

Cyclorama by Adam Langer

A group of students at a special high school in Evanston, Illinois performs the Diary of Anne Frank play in the 1980s. They have many vices and struggles. The drama teacher seems to have perverted tendencies that the kids want to trace down. The students have their own issues, with relationships, battles with family, drugs and other vices. Some things break out after a performance with multiple "lovers" getting into fights, with the black guy ending up in jail. Later at a party, there is an attempted rape and violence. The story then pivots to a more modern time in the Trump administration. The school is performing a "modern" version of Anne Frank. Some of the original students have children in the play. The students are now older and have different positions in life, but still have some of the same bad characteristics they had as kids. This feels like a dark version of John Hughes comedy that then pivots to see "where they are today." The portrayal of Evanston and North Chicago is well done.