The program handed out at the May 10 presentation of If You Only Knew makes the production's message that much more serious. The names and contact numbers of helping agencies fill the front cover of the stark playbill.

Helping is what this production is about.

We Can Make a Difference (WCMAD) Productions put the show together and from workshopping the tenderest bits of dialogue to designing a visually pleasing theatrical presentation- the youth who poured heart and soul into the hour-long production will undoubtedly make a difference.

This production, now set to tour local schools, pulls back the curtain on teen life. It provides a painfully clear view on what it's like to live with parents who fight, what it's like to be gay and what it's like to deal with mental health issues.

Even the popular kids have pressures they have to deal with.

The play tells the realistic story of thirteen small-town high school students who interact through a few days.

There is tension as students prepare for the weekend party and there is the damage that they work towards resolving once school resumes on Monday morning.

Each character in the production was strong. Each moment was gripping and as tension builds there is smart choreography and music to help catch a breath.

There is time to wipe away a tear.

The cast devoured the material and presented it to the packed audience of family and friends with no hesitation. Characters were strong and the actors knew their lines, blocking and responses inside and out.

The commitment to getting it right was evident and each cast member took their turn as the central focus for part of the play. Every single cast member carried weight in their actions and emotion in their words.

The students say in their program that they worked very hard to come together to write a scrip with one common goal- they want to make a difference. They want those who see the play to make a difference and they want those who see the play who are struggling with issues to get help and to understand that they are not alone.

The cast of Wendy Arnold, Eric Butcher, Teaghen Gosse, Branden Graf, Mikaela Hayes, James Irwin, Carson Mask, Emma McCorkell, Amber McMunn, Troy McQuade, Gordon Nicholson, Brittany Robinson and Alex Winstanley with the help of Allison Richmond and Devin Mclaughlin showed they are serious about reaching their goal.

The play starts touring on May 16.