MSJ Universal Performers closes the curtains on The Removal, their first production of the year

By Staff Writers Gaurasundara Amarnani & Aarav Vashisht

Five contestants. One game show host. An unforgettable 30-minute play. MSJ Universal Performers’ The Removal presents a dystopian world where characters are placed in an elimination game in which they must vote each other out — with elimination meaning death. Taking inspiration from Lois Lowry’s classic novel The Giver,  MSJ Universal Performers’ student ensemble delivered an incredible student-run and directed performance from 6-6:30 p.m. on January 21-23.

The play, which was written and directed by MSJ Universal Performers Co-President Junior Alisha Arora, delves into the social disparities between the higher class — those who control the game show and society — and the normal working class. Throughout the play, the working-class competitors are forced to vote each other out to be the last one standing. This win-at-all-costs game serves as entertainment for the higher class, as each of the characters faces intense decisions in voting each other out. However, towards the end, there is a dramatic twist in which the victor, Jonas (Junior Elaiana Xu) realizes that she was always predestined to win the challenge.

Each actor brought their character’s emotions to life without slipping into exaggeration. Throughout the show, the student-led cast sustained a high-tension ambience. “Every emotion on the stage was raw, intense. You could even see from the minor details, like just the trembling of hands when Jonas held up the gun, or when, after the argument, they were just still trembling,” Junior Producer Dhivya Venkat said. Throughout the play, the game host’s (Junior Agata Mitisiuk) presence in particular was a standout performance, reinforcing society’s ironic cruelty through a controlled and emotionless act that had no regard for human life, exposing the dangers of power without empathy.

The directors and stage crew officials played an integral role in executing the play. Through strategic prop displays and intense spotlights, the backstage team helped illustrate the play’s dramatic plot shifts and narrative changes. The changing lights match the play’s plotline visually and help the audience better understand scene changes. These changing displays also helped audiences understand the passage of time, further reinforcing the inescapability of the system.

 Arora’s aspiration to become a lawyer, as well as her political and social stances, heavily inspired this production. In The Removal, the imbalance between social classes drives every decision contestants make.  Some characters even try to break free and fight the game show host’s ubiquitous power, but fear of retaliation motivates characters to simply survive and comply with the gamemaster’s demands. As the rounds progress, the play illustrates that a dystopian society’s defining quality is not the violence;  rather, the fear infused in each character is what truly makes up a dystopian society.

Despite facing troubles such as the lack of funding for performances and a club advisor, the community and performers banded together in a collective effort and returned with yet another unforgettable play. “A lot of people came together and helped me out. So I think I wouldn’t have been able to do it on my own, and it turned out … [so much] better than what I expected,” Arora said.