Casting college students in the roles of middle age characters is a challenge for director Andrew White.

“With rehearsing, fine-tuning mannerisms and using other opportunities, such as a student’s height, it can be a believable performance,” said White, a Valparaiso University professor of theater.

“We want there to be a distinct contrast between the youth and adult characters to make the stage story and scenes work.”

White is directing a cast of seven in the play “The Dream of the Burning Boy,” with weekend performances Sept. 28-Oct. 7 in the intimate 80-seat studio theater space in the Center for the Arts at Valparaiso University.

White remembers the challenges of being a young actor cast in older roles when he was a theatre major at Valparaiso University prior to his graduation in 1990.

“The credibility of stepping into these older roles can also come from the dynamics of the exchanges between the characters in the scenes,” White said.

“In the case of this play, there are many pivotal moments that happen between the central characters of the high school teacher Larry Morrow and the mother of his student Dane.”

“The Dream of the Burning Boy” details the sudden death of a high school student and the impact on parents, teachers and classmates in a plot that includes a surprise twist. The play title comes from the haunting dreams a teacher experiences following the tragedy.

The play, written by David West, premiered Off-Broadway in New York in 2011. It has a running time of 90 minutes without an intermission.

“I first got the idea to produce this play at Valparaiso University about four or five years ago after I caught a scene or two of it showcased at the American College Theatre Festival as part of the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Competition,” White said.

“I hadn’t heard of the play but was drawn to it, so I remember writing down the play title.”

Despite it being an unfamiliar title, when White held the play auditions last month after students arrived back to campus in August, he was surprised by an overwhelming response from more than 40 hopefuls auditioning for the seven roles.

“It’s a beautiful play dealing with loss and grief and how someone copes with regrets,” White said.

“But people are also surprised to find out it’s a play that also has humorous qualities in some of the moments.”

Scott Nolan, 20, who is from Griffith, has been working with White to develop what he describes as “the nuances of a middle age man” for his lead role as high school teacher Larry Morrow, a man he describes as “complex with his own secrets.”

“Because I’m 6-foot-4, as an actor, it becomes both a blessing and a curse,” Nolan said.

“My height makes me a natural to play an older role. But it also makes it tough for a director for planning the scenes, such as where the characters should stand opposite of me since I’m usually taller than others in the cast.”

Nolan was one of the auditioning students who was already partially familiar with “The Dream of the Burning Boy” because he had seen a sampling of it during a one-act presentation.

“For anyone who has ever suffered a loss, which will be nearly everyone in the audience, this play will resonate with them,” Nolan said.

“I’ve connected with my character and his struggles, such as insecurities and loneliness. These are issues everyone faces at some time in life.”

Mac Magiera, 18, who is from Boone Grove, said he recalls his own high school friends and experiences as inspiration to step into the role of high school student Dane.

“Dane is the student in high school who is filled with energy, and his classmates love him, making him popular and sought out by others,” Magiera said.

“I think everyone knows a kid like Dane from your high school years. When someone like him is suddenly taken away, it changes everyone.”

White said he decided to stage the play using a three-quarter set design, so the audience feels close to the characters and the emotion-filled dialogue.

“Everything happens in three scenes, the classroom, a guidance counselor’s office and then a dream sequence when the teacher has another face-to-face encounter with Dane, following the student’s death,” White said.

“Without giving too much away, the secret revealed to the audience has a major impact and the play becomes a story of finding the strength needed to move on with courage to live without any regrets.”

Philip Potempa is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.