THEATRE

The classic coming-of-age story gets a fresh twist when the acclaimed musical Bare comes to South Florida.

Touching on themes addressed in edgy rock musicals like Rent and Spring Awakening, Bare tells the story of a group of high school seniors at a Catholic boarding school who are struggling with issues of personal and sexual identity. The story centers on the tragic love story between Jason and Peter, who are grappling with being gay against the backdrop of modern society and the church.

The play follows their clandestine love, from their attempts to reveal themselves, to their pressures to fit in. Bare captures the universal angst of modern youth and the gamut of problems facing them, from teenage pregnancy to the drug culture to meeting parental expectations. As they try to come to terms with who they are -- and who society thinks they should be -- they seek guidance from the Church, their friends and, ultimately, from within themselves. Bare's infectious rock music score electrifies the traditional love story, the gay love story, and the everyday insecurities of not knowing who we are and where we fit in, laying them all out for scrutiny.