After an entire semester, one student’s long-awaited play will finally see the stage.

Marcus Sumrall, a senior from Chicago studying radio-television, will introduce the second part of his “Domino Effect” production on Saturday. The first part left audience members full of questions and assumptions about what would happen next.

Sumrall describes the Domino Effect saga as stories that display realistic experiences from everyday life.

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“I’ve been writing all my life,” he said. “I used to rap and do spoken word so performing was something I focused on when I first got to college. However, it was a mentor by the name of Brandon “Hollywood” Williams that steered me towards me into writing plays,”

The play is called the “Domino Effect” because Sumrall said he wanted to place emphasis on how one person’s action could directly affect another’s outcome.

Sumrall said he loves to create realistic stories.

“I literally sit in a dark room and think about life and everything else happening around me,” he said. “Fantasies are great, but I like concentrating on the real things that happen, because displaying the real tends to gain a better reaction out of people.”

The play features plenty of old and new faces, all of whom said they are excited to display their talents for the campus.

Michael Smith, a freshman from Chicago studying political science, worked with Sumrall before in the previous Domino Effect production and traveled with him when the play went to Illinois State.

“This has honestly been an overwhelming experience,” Smith said. “I’m learning a few things about myself with acting. My character is a horrible person, and I’m learning how to be him. This just goes to show that you can learn outside of the classroom when you’re in college,”

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Aaron Adams, a senior from Flossmoor studying advertising, plays one character and is also an assistant director of the play. He said having the title of assistant director means a lot to him.

“The joy of having this title is that you get to see your work manifest,” Adams said. “I would agree that being in this play is overwhelming, because the roles that we play require you to be very in touch with your emotions. However, it always comes out perfect in the end.”

Adams did not help write the play, but said he helped with script revisions and handpicked some of the characters.

“When a person comes to audition for us, we look at how well a person executes his or her dedication to the character,” he said.

LaTaiya Duncan, a sophomore from Bloomington studying biological science, said participating in the play gave her new opportunities.

“I love performing in front of people,” she said. “I love being seen and interacting with lots of people. Being in this play allows me to get more in tune with myself. At practice, I have to think and feel and act like my character. If you’re going to be in a play, a person needs to be open-minded and follow the directions of the director.”

Sumrall, Smith and Adams said being in this play is demanding with time constraints and issues between cast members.

“Of course there’s drama,” Sumrall said. “But that’s what happens when you become a family.”

The play is free to students. Sumrall said Interim Dean of Students Katie Sermersheim and Phi Rho Eta Fraternity helped cover the costs of Shyrock and use of props for the play. However, Sumrall would not give a dollar amount.

“One of the most important things I’ve learned while doing this play is teamwork,” Sumrall said. “I have a strong, dominant personality, but doing this play has humbled me enough to adapt to different situations and work with different people.”

Sumrall said he hopes the play will have a similar effect as the annual “Can I Live” rally on the audience.

“Like the rally, we want people to take the message that they are not alone,” he said. “People may watch this and think ‘Oh, this is just a play so it’s not real life,’ but we want people to realize that there are people who go through this in our communities, and we want them to feel that they can make it through their adversity.”

The Domino Effect 2 premieres at 7 p.m., May 3 in Shyrock Auditorium.

Kia Smith can be reached at [email protected] on Twitter @KiaSmith__ or at 536-3311