Three short plays will come together to form one show as ISU Theater Second Stage presents “Perceptions” this weekend at Fisher Theater.

“Perceptions” consists of “Sweet Eros,” by Terrance McNally, “What We Do With It,” by Bruce MacDonald and “Tape,” by Jose Rivera.

The three plays were brought together by Chris Mannes, senior in performing arts. Mannes is also directing and doing the lighting design for “Perceptions.”

Mannes said after finding the three pieces, his major challenge was to find a way to make them work together.

“I tried to find why I liked the three plays,” Mannes said. “I realized all three were about how the characters saw their worlds.”

Mannes, who has worked primarily as a designer, said he wanted to add a visual element to enhance the cohesiveness of the three stories. After considering slides or projections, he decided to use dancers.

Throughout the course of “Perceptions,” two actors will be in front of a scrim performing the three plays, while two dancers will be performing behind the scrim, representing the plays with movement.

Mannes asked Melissa Ham-Ellis, sophomore in performing arts, to choreograph the dance portion of the show.

“Working with Melissa has been great,” Mannes said. “I’m very literal, and she’s very abstract. I originally saw moments of dance, now I see an hour and 20 minutes of dance.”

One of the dancers in “Perceptions” is Josh Bryner, senior in math and performing arts. Although Bryner has acted in several ISU Theater productions, his “Perceptions” performance will mark the first time he has ever danced for ISU Theater.

“In a sense, it’s been an eye-opening experience,” Bryner said. “It’s all fresh to me. I’m learning as I go. People aren’t hearing my voice but watching my body. I’m exploring new ways to communicate with an audience.”

Bryner said this is the first time there has been such an equal collaboration between dance and theater at ISU.

“It’s a unique opportunity for both departments,” Bryner said. “I’ve grown in my appreciation and understanding for dance. [‘Perceptions’] will help [the] theater and dance [departments] appreciate what each other has. Both can become better by using ideas from the other.”

Due to actors’ commitments to other shows, “Perceptions” has only been able to actively rehearse for about four weeks.

“We started to meet weekly to discuss the play,” Mannes said. “We had to wait until ‘The Misanthrope’ closed to start rehearsing. We had good discussions; we worked out what we wanted from the show.”

Bryner said that the short rehearsal period has been challenging.

“The rehearsal process has been quick — very intensively quick,” Bryner said. “It shows that when you only have so much time, it forces you to get done what needs to get done.”

Mannes realizes he is trying some new things, but he hopes the audience will see the dancers and the actors telling the same story.

“Ideally, we want people to leave thinking about how they see the world around them,” Mannes said. “A lot of times people forget that I don’t see the world the same way you do.”

Mannes also hopes the risks being taken with “Perceptions” will encourage more experimentation at ISU.

“We do a lot of good work at ISU, but a lot of it is in the same vein,” Mannes said. “I hope my show is a bit of a bigger stretch — in a good way. I’m happy about that. I hope to see other people stretch.”

“Perceptions” will be performed Thursday and Friday nights at 7:30, and Sunday afternoon at 2. Tickets are $1.50 for students, $6 for general admission, and $5 for senior citizens.

Due to some nudity and strong adult language, children under 18 will not be admitted without a parent.