Poudre High School’s production of Carrie is a guaranteed heart-wrecker and blood curdling show that shines through its masterful acting and technical effects. The well acted, three-dimensional characters will shock, delight, and is worth spending a night to see.

NOTE: This review is spoiler-free!

The very first thing on stage is three large “boxes,” made of overlapped wood. These pieces are used as Carrie’s house, the high school, and other smaller scenes within the two. These pieces gave the show a united feeling of decay and darkness, and at the end of the play this effect turned into ironic foreshadowing.

Carrie’s costuming was also a strong point, as it felt very accurate to high school in a way that only students can do. The characters didn’t look ridiculously stylish or overdone–conversely, they each had distinct styles that fit their personalities. While the set was abstract, the students within the play were down to earth.

The lighting and effects of the show also gave the whole thing a further abstract feeling, with flashes of red and white with each dramatic moment. The smoke towards the end created the abstract atmosphere, and left the details of the end to the audience’s imagination.

But where Carrie truly shined was the performances of the actors onstage. They all executed the dark emotions of the play with startling complexity–it all felt painfully true, and it was a stark reminder of the struggles every high school student faces.

Go see Carrie: The Musical, at 7:00 this Friday, 11/2, and this Saturday, 11/3, at 2:30 at Poudre High School.