Troy University’s Department of Theatre and Dance will finish its 2025-2026 production season with Yasmina Reza’s “God of Carnage” beginning Thursday, April 30 through Tuesday, May 5 in the Malone Black Box Theatre.

“God of Carnage” is a Tony Award-winning dark comedy in which schoolyard violence brings two sets of intelligent, upwardly mobile parents together to reasonably discuss their children’s conflict. As their conversation continues, civility gradually falls away and primal human nature moves to the forefront, giving audiences a harrowing yet amusing glance at the thin line between reason and the savagery that lies just below the surface.

Billy Hutto, the production’s director and Adjunct Professor of Theatre at TROY, became familiar with the play through his classmates while studying theatre in New York during the early 2010s. He thought of the play as undeniably entertaining, shocking and meaningful.

“Those qualities are exciting for a director, and I wanted the opportunity to challenge myself with Yasmina Reza’s meticulously crafted text. Even though the play is about two wealthy couples living in Brooklyn, it is highly relatable across socioeconomic and cultural lines. The play explores what lurks beneath our social masks and allows us to recognize, and laugh at, some of the darker truths humanity holds.”

When casting for the show, Hutto ultimately looked for actors who had a spark of humanity and vulnerability that would reveal the complexities of the play’s characters and make them feel like real human beings.

“To be frank, this piece isn’t easy,” Hutto said. “All four actors have to sustain 90 minutes of memorized text with almost no breaks, so we have been working hard to conquer memorization. Every rehearsal has yielded new discoveries as the actors prepare intentionally at home and bring new proposals to the rehearsal room. We have incorporated some Meisner technique and clown work into the process to help the actors unlock a sense of play and impulsivity with one another. It has been a joy to watch the actors build relationships with each other and to see that sense of trust and shared experience energize the play.”

For Hutto, the Black Box Theater has been central to every creative decision made in directing this production. 

“Early on in the process, the company decided it would be a missed opportunity if we didn’t make this production as immersive as possible, so we placed the audience in the round, surrounding all four sides of the action. This liberates the actors to move more naturally through the space and feel more immersed in the circumstances of the play themselves. The space also presents unique challenges such as calibrating the size of the performances when the audience is inches away from the action. We are working hard to find the energetic balance that will draw the audience in and earn their involuntary attention.”  

Hutto hopes that the audience leaves “God of Carnage” feeling renewed by the energy of laughter and togetherness.

“I also hope the play sparks conversation about how we as people can strive to relate to one another in a more genuine way,” he said.

As TROY’s Department of Theatre and Dance closes out it’s 2025-2026 season, Hutto reflected on his time working with the department and students.

“The Department of Theatre and Dance is a special gem in our region, and I consider it a gift to spend time in this creative oasis,” Hutto said. “I want to thank my cast who have trusted me to lead them in their first big performance opportunity with the department, and I want to thank my crew who have worked tirelessly to bring this production to life.”

“God of Carnage” is intended for mature audiences. Tickets are $5 and can be bought here or at the Trojan Center box office near Barnes and Noble. For more information, call 334-808-6142 or email theatreanddance@troy.edu.