After countless hours of rehearsals in the last few weeks, the Sarofim School of Fine Arts’ theater department premiered their new spring production, Tracks, on Friday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m. in Heather Hall. 

Written by Peter Tarsi, Tracks is a one-act play set in a dirty subway, where a group of strangers, each from different cities, meet and find out there’s no way out. Soon they are faced with an unfortunate reality: they are all dead. Since there’s two sides in a subway station, they figure that if the train leaving from one platform is bound for heaven, the train leaving from the other platform must be bound for hell. As they try to figure out which side they’re on, they reflect on their lives, confessing past deeds, some they’re not proud of. As the train looms closer, they have to decide whether to stay and ponder their actions further, or let faith decide where their destination leads.

Unlike the other theater productions, Tracks is a play the students chose themselves and excited to perform. Directed by guest director Julia Chereson, and assistant directed by Emma Hoover ‘27, it is clear there was a lot of thought and preparation put into the production just from the technical team alone. I’m always impressed by the crew whenever I see the set for the first time and Tracks was no exception. When I walked into Heather Hall, I immediately felt I was transported into a subway, and it really fit the vibe of being dirty and almost abandoned. The crew deserves all the applause for all the work they put in just as much as the actors. For more information about the behind-the-scenes background, check out our pre-show article!

Since it is a one-act play, Tracks’s runtime is roughly fifty minutes to an hour so it’s a great way to spend your evening. And what an evening it was for me. I am a big fan of stories that explore the human condition, how we live, why we live, and Tracks brought it all together. Seeing the characters reflect on their lives and their past choices makes you think about your own life too. You never know what the choices you make, international or not, can lead and the fear of the unknown can be overbearing at times. But what I love about Tracks is that it reminds us we still have a choice, even if we don’t know where it leads us to.

The actors really gave it their all and the chemistry between each interaction not only keeps us at the edge of our seats, but shows off their talents and characteristics they put into each character. Everyone gave a wonderful performance and I am so honored to be able to witness an incredible show performed and produced by talented people.