Telling the gritty story of child murders, ISU Theater students are turning away from more romance-centered stories and working on something a little darker. This weekend the student-produced play “The Pillowman” will open in the Maintenance Shop.

Donald Watts, the show’s director and senior in performing arts, chose a play that varied from the usual.

“I wanted something different, not the typical love story or the classical Shakespearean plays. I’m so tiered of the romance, and this play just went in so many directions. It was something new,” he said.

“The Pillowman” centers on a writer, Katurian, who lives in a fictional totalitarian state. Katurian writes stories in which children repeatedly become injured or harmed in some way much akin to the original Brother Grim fairy tales. After a series of gruesome child murders resembling Katurian’s stories, he is brutally interrogated about the content of his short stories.

The play is student-produced, which differs from the other plays the theater department produces in that the production is run by students rather than faculty and the budget is a lot smaller compared to other plays. The process of producing “The Pillowman” began at a theater department meeting in the fall discussing options for upcoming shows. Watts presented the script and his production staff list to ask permission for producing the play, and was accepted.

Watts and members of the cast and crew have been working on the play since January, when auditions were held, and learning blocking and going off book since spring break.

After a class in directing, Watts turned away from acting to trying something new by directing a play. “The Pillowman” is Watts’ second time directing, and this is the first time he has worked with a full production staff. For him, it’s sometimes hard to direct his peers, most of which are his friends.

“It’s hard sometimes when you have to direct someone you think is a better actor then you, but you have to remember that every actor needs a director, even the high status ones. It’s a way for some one on the outside to see how they are acting and how they can improve.” Watts said.

Jake Coffman, senior in art and design and cast member, said it was easy to work with Watts.

“We all are similar in age, but Don is mature beyond his age and working with him was like working with an older, more experienced director,” he said.

Coffman plays Ariel in the play. When describing his character, Coffman said he would be considered the bad cop in the integration room and that the role of Ariel is a physical one.

“He will do whatever he can to protection children, even if that means torturing during integration, he will do whatever it takes to make sure they’re safe,” he said.

At first Coffman was skeptical about the play, as the title of “The Pillowman” threw him off. But after hearing one of his teachers talking about upcoming auditions, he changed his mind.

“It had all these gritty guy roles in it, and that’s what I wanted to do,” he said.

Though Coffman has taken acting classes, “The Pillowman” is the first play that Coffman has been in at Iowa State. The role of Ariel was, at first, challenging.

“At first it was hard to tap into my character’s background, since mine was nothing like his,” Coffman said. “But the more I worked on it, the easier it was. I would listen to music I wouldn’t listen to when it was sunny out. It really has been a blast to play Ariel.”

Both Watts and Coffman are excited to present the show to audiences and present its themes in bold fashion.

“A lot is addressed in the show, how artwork is perceived and how assumptions are made. I really want to present the text in all different angles giving all the flavors and tones that Martin McDonagh [the playwright] wrote,” Coffman said.

Watts displayed the same goals as Coffman. “Some directors, it’s all about the process. It’s not that way for me. I want a finished solid show. Though we don’t have that many performances, I want the show to evolve and be a little bit different each time,” he said.

The Pillow man will be performed 7:30 – 10 p.m.Thursday through Saturday, and 2 – 4:30 p.m. Sunday in the M-Shop.

A content advisory accompanies the play for violence and adult language.

Tickets available through the M-Shop. They are $6 for adults and $4 for students.