“True Lives: I’m A Kent State Freshman” will educate, or at least enlighten, students about sexual discrimination issues on Kent State’s campus, said Yolanda Board, theater and dance student and director of the play.

“The play basically follows the story of three freshman students and shows how the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community works in between their lives,” Board said.

She said the play is based on true events that have happened on the campus. She also said the play is based on the MTV “True Life” show.

The play will be performed by six actors.

“An ROTC student displays how to deal with the personal issue of coming to terms with his sexuality, while also trying to deal with not losing his ROTC scholarship,” Board said.

Another student is an advocate for PRIDE!Kent, Kent State’s LGBT organization, and due to her perceived sexual identity, she gets beat up on campus, she said.

She said the third student in the play is not gay, but his sister comes out to him.

“We tried to get three different perspectives of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender experience and community,” Board said.

A group of students and faculty came together in April to write the play with the help of Norma Bowles, a theater expert from Los Angeles who produces plays.

After each performance, Board said the audience will be able to talk to the actors, technicians and other people involved with the play.

“I think this play will definitely try to stop ignorance on Kent’s campus before it starts,” she said. “I hope people will come to the play without prejudice and just have an open mind to just hear the stories being told.”

She said she wants the play to encourage acceptance.

“Discrimination of any kind to any group for any reason is wrong, and that’s what the core of the show is about,” Board said.

Contact buildings and transportation reporter Sarah Colvin at [email protected].

“TRUE LIVES” PLAY • WHAT: A play about sexual discrimination on campus. • WHEN: 8 p.m. Aug. 25 and 7 p.m. Sept. 10. • WHERE: Wright-Curtis Theatre in the Music and Speech Center • PRICE: Free to students and the general public