Intertwined, written and directed by senior Douglas Pomin and co-directed by junior Annabelle Tiznado will perform today, January 11, in the Patti Baker Theater for a one night only premiere before being taken to compete at the Lenaea High School Theatre Festival this February.

This one act production, originally written by Pomin as a screenplay, stays true to its film roots while embracing the format live theatre provides.

The cuts from scene to scene, as well as the timeline of the story give a movie-like aesthetic without straying too far from the traditional one act set up. In short, Intertwined embraces the choppiness of film while still allowing the production to flow.

The music, expertly woven into the story, clues into an interesting directorial choice by Pomin and Tiznado. Though the production itself has a melancholic tone, the music is soft, lulling, and even uplifting.

The ukulele is used consistently throughout, ensuring that audiences aren’t sitting through forty five sorrow filled minutes; rather, audiences are allowed to struggle and grow with Grayson.

Intertwined stars John Wallasch in the role of Grayson, and features a large ensemble of characters. Wallasch portrays Grayson with ease as he actively grapples with his circumstances without playing the victim.

Wallasch ensures the character of Grayson doesn’t sulk; instead, Grayson is compelling and interesting to watch. Wallasch encourages audiences empathize with him.

Intertwined focuses on Grayson and his inability to move on after losing the love of his life, Rose, played by Shaelene Wortham.

Nathan and Mickey, played by Ivan Lira and Natalie Baer respectively, struggle through feelings of worthlessness, and being hurt by the people they love. Feeling responsible for picking up the the broken pieces of his friends, Nathan finds himself in just as bad a position as Grayson was.

As Nathan falls apart, Grayson finally begins picking himself back up after meeting Caroline, played by Tiznado.  Grayson reveals to his friends that she seems “too amazing to be real.”

However, tensions rise when his perfect mystery girl turns out to not be so perfect after all.

The show is thoroughly enjoyable and boasts an incredibly talented group of actors.

At times the blocking was clunky, as such a large ensemble has to fit on certain sides of the stage in order to fit the lighting design.

The fight choreography between Neal, played by Pomin, and Nathan has the potential to be cleaned up, as the characters display an obvious hatred for each other through dialogue, but it doesn’t quite translate through their physicality. The pacing dipped at times, but the actors were always able to pick it back up in the next scene.

The show performs tonight, January 11, at 7 p.m. Tickets are five dollars at the door, and the show runs roughly forty five minutes.

If you’re looking for original content with an intriguing story-line and heart, Intertwined is an absolutely excellent choice.