Life is about each and every day, not just the days of celebration — that’s why it’s the “Fifth of July” not the Fourth of July.

ISU Theatre will present its first play of the year, “Fifth of July,” on Friday. With a 1977 setting and a focus on the repercussions of the Vietnam War, “Fifth of July” is full of real-life characters who come to a point where they must figure out where to go after their activist years at Berkeley in California.

Brad Dell, director of the play and theater faculty member, said his director notes in the program read, “It’s not the fourth of July, it’s the fifth of July,” to get people to think about what the play’s title means and what it tries to focus on.

“It’s not about a special day, the play is about everyday. The fifth of July is just another day in the year,” Dell said. “I think this play is about getting over the past, forgiving the past and looking towards the future.”

The play also has an interesting tie into the upcoming presidential election Dell said.

“There’s hope in the play and there is change in the play,” Dell said. “It’s an interesting political environment to talk about those things.”

Dell said the ‘60s were a time when people were hoping to change the world and fighting for that change — but when the sixties ended there was “this great sense of disillusionment.”

To an extent, Dell said, there is currently a movement for change and hope and that the play serves as a warning.

“The play warns about looking too big, hoping too big and that’s not to say we shouldn’t dream big, but we also have to think about ourselves,” Dell said. “Not only how do we change the world, but how can we truly change ourselves in order to change the world.”

Meghan Sigwarth, freshman in performing arts, who is playing the part of Glenn, she said is a fun character to play.

“Glenn is pretty eccentric,” Sigwarth said. “She’s a pill-popping heiress.”

Sigwarth said the play is about all of the friendships and how they are moving on after Berkeley and the Vietnam War.

“It’s the emotional, physical and spiritual hangover of what happened in Vietnam,” she said.

Don Watts, junior in performing arts, plays the role of Ken, a gay Vietnam veteran who became handicapped as a result of the war.

“His kneecaps down were blown up during Vietnam so he has quite a few obstacles in his life,” Watts said.

The play was cast in the spring so cast members have been working on it since the summer, but Sigwarth said there is more to it than just rehearsing lines — especially for this play.

“I did a lot of research around Berkeley activism,” Sigwarth said. “You focus on objectives and what you want from the scene and how you’re going to get it.”

With the first performance Friday night, Watts said there are a lot of aspects students can relate to.

“I think that a lot of people can relate to a lot of things in the show,” Watts said. “The show is about relationships and everyone has long term relationships and it’s about youth and now being older what you’re supposed to do with your life.”

“Fifth of July” performances

When: Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, 2 p.m. and Oct. 10 and 11 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 12 at 2 p.m.

Where: Fisher Theater

Cost: $14 for adults, $12 for seniors and $7 for students