WESTON RANCH – When Jose Ortiz III first came to Weston Ranch High, he put on William Mastrosimone’s one-act play “Bang, Bang, You’re Dead.”

That was six years ago.

“It was well received back then,” he recalled at the dress rehearsal on Wednesday.

Presented with the permission of Icarus Plays, Ortiz is again directing the drama he wrote back in 1999 to raise awareness of school violence and its causes. An English teacher, he also handles the Intermediate / Advanced Theater classes along with introduction class.

“(Bang, Bang, You’re Dead) is about a young man lying in a jail cell for having murdered his parents and five of his classmates,” Ortiz said.

Included were the same five murdered earlier that day – he describes the dead as “figments of his imagination, not ghost” – by Josh as played by junior Colbi Reid, a first-year drama student at Weston Ranch.

He added: “When Josh evades their questions, they torment him, make him re-live events, and drive him towards the threshold of remorse.”

Dixen Halford (Michael), Melanie DeVera (Katie), Aaron Salindo (Matt), Kaitlyn Miller (Jessie), and Michelle Moriega serve as the victims.

They’re joined by Erik Carlson (Dad, grandpa’s voice), Jannelyn Salonga (Mom, public defender’s voice), Cassidy Sidman (Principal, prosecutor’s voice), and Leonardo Resendiz (foreman voice).

Behind the scenes include Cristina Hernandez as stage manager, Sarah Zimmerman on lights, Alexis Eastland as spot operator, Michael Cervantes on sound, and Dakota Smead in the box office.

“Bang, Bang, You’re Dead” premieres today at the WRHS Speech Arts. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

The play will also be performed on Friday and Saturday at the same time and Sunday at 1:30 p.m.

Admission is $5.

Weston Ranch High is located at 4606 McCuen Ave.

For more information, call Ortiz at 209-938-6245, ext. 58054.