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Miami University’s Stage Left presents ‘Be More Chill’

Members of Stage Left perform in their production of "Be More Chill."
Members of Stage Left perform in their production of "Be More Chill."

Stage Left, a theater organization on campus fully led by Miami University students, presents a musical every semester. This spring, they performed “Be More Chill” over the weekend of April 24-26.

“Be More Chill” follows the life of a teenager, Jeremy Here: A social outcast who has one friend, an estranged relationship with his father and an enormous crush on a girl who barely knows he exists. More than anything, he desires to be cool.

His bully, who used to be a teenage loser, gave Jeremy his solution. He could get a “Squip” — a pill that implants supercomputer technology in the user’s brain, which tells them exactly what to do, how to think and how to act.

Desperate for a solution, Jeremy takes the Squip, and it changes his life. His style and attitude change. Suddenly, girls pay attention to him. The Squip is getting him everything he’s ever wanted. However, he is losing parts of himself. He begins to ignore his best friend, Michael. His relationship with his father worsens. He’s hurting people and hurting himself in the process.

The Squip, which takes on the form of Zelda in his brain, is relentless. It wants to rule Jeremy’s life and refuses to leave his head. Eventually, with the help of his crush Christine and the collaboration of his father and Michael, Jeremy realizes he must stop the Squip.

They discover a way to end the technology for good, and save everyone from being ruled by the Squip and losing their sense of self.

Noah Englund, a junior psychology major, performed the lead role of Jeremy, and DJ Hatch, a first-year arts management and arts entrepreneurship major, played Michael.

Director Sam Bryant, a senior games and simulation major, has loved this show for most of her life, so this performance held significant meaning for her.

“Throughout middle school, I was playing these songs every day,” Bryant said. “This means so much to me, especially my younger self, to be able to put this on."

The comedy of the show was the main focus. The cast ad-libbed and frequently referenced current internet jokes, such as the “Defying Gravity” riff or Fergie’s cartwheel performance. When meaning was conveyed, though, the emotion was felt. Hatch’s performance of the song “Michael in the Bathroom” had the longest applause of the entire night.

Penelope Seitzer, a first-year political science and English literature double major, sat in the audience for the Friday night performance.

“You could tell the cast had a lot of fun putting on the show,” Seitzer said. “For not being very familiar with the show’s premise, I thought the cast and crew did a phenomenal job conveying all the themes.”

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Beyond the acting, the technical aspect of the performance stood out. Stage Left uses a student orchestra pit for its shows, bringing together various instrumental players to accompany the on-stage performers.

The lighting and sound were also notable. The flashes of light and various colors emphasized the fear or stress characters felt during scenes.

Assistant Director Lillian Hayes, a sophomore integrated social studies education major, said her experience with Stage Left this year was different than what she had been used to.

“I usually act, but I [didn’t] know this show, so I signed up to be the assistant director, and I got it,” Hayes said. “It was different for me being on this side of things, but it was amazing working with everyone.”

Every student involved in Stage Left worked to produce “Be More Chill.” The hard work paid off, and the dedication of every member poured onto the stage.

Tickets to watch Stage Left’s productions are completely free of charge. They also put on other, non-musical performances throughout the semester.

norrisl3@miamioh.edu

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