Just in time for Halloween, SMU Student Theater presents itsnewest production “Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me,”by Frank McGuinness. The scenes are not full of blood and gore, butthey do focus on three men on the brink of insanity.

Set inside a prison cell in contemporary Lebanon, the playcenters around three hostages chained to the floor. Their cell ispitch black, silent and cold. The hostages can talk to each other,but the chains keep them apart. How do they respond to this? Theylaugh.

The three prisoners — Adam, Edward and Michael — areseparated from each other in many ways. Each character has adifferent background, personality and nationality, yet theyovercome these barriers by finding ways to make each other laugh.Without this humor, the characters are sucked into the mad darknessthat surrounds them, director Pat Rieger said.

The actors — Ryan Cooper, Dan Gordon and Brandon Walker— all agree that the strength of the characters drives theobjective of the show. The characters help each other combatpersonal problems, including the ghosts of their pasts.

In many instances the characters tackle problems relating towhat is going on in the Middle East. For example, RyanCooper’s character, Adam, ponders why there is suchtension between being an American and being Arab.

“I hope everyone gets a chance to see this show becausethe message is powerful and relevant to the world today,”Walker said.

The characters play imaginary games of tennis, sing, dance,re-live horse races and create movies while holding on to theirsanity. The outcome is funny, passionate and powerful.

“If the audience laughs, then the characters havewon,” Rieger said.

The show, which is stage-managed by David Dowell, will beperformed in room B450 in the Meadows School of the Arts. The showruns at 4:15 p.m. on Friday and at 10 p.m. on Saturday andSunday.