A unique theatre experience that portrays a world in which impersonation has been outlawed will be presented Wednesday through Friday, February 2-4 and Sunday, Feb. 6 in the Studio Theatre at the Noel Fine Arts Center (NFAC) at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

"To(ta)lerance," a drama written by UWSP Theatre Assistant Professor Kyle Bostian and directed by Lecturer Robert Radkoff Ek, will be the final show staged in the current studio theater before the advent of a new black box studio space in the NFAC addition to be used next fall. For mature audiences only, the production will give viewers "an experience they�ve never had," said Bostian.

The show will be performed at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday through Friday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday in the studio adjacent to Jenkins Theatre in the NFAC. Admission, including a ticketing fee, is $10 for general public and senior citizens and $3.50 for UWSP students with ID. Tickets are available on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the University Box Office, Room 103 of the University Center, by calling 715-346-4100 or 800-838-3378. Visa, Mastercard and Discover are accepted.

"To(ta)lerance" is set as a fictional country where the Declaration of Total Tolerance has been passed so that everyone lives peacefully. Impersonation is illegal and everyone has to be themselves at all times. "The idea that people can ever be themselves in an authentic and verifiable way just doesn�t hold water," Bostian says.

The play centers on a gay couple at odds because of the declaration. One is a radical puppeteer who challenges it; the other is a former actor who now does voice over work in promotional ads for the government.

"The two sides of this issue impact their relationship," said Bostian. The story also touches on how much individuals are willing to pay for the sake of social, political and personal freedom, says Radkoff Ek.

"The concept of �being able to trust others to be who they appear� jumped out at me as visual spectacles began to form in my mind�s eye," said Radkoff Ek. The use of four actors, a seven person chorus, live musicians and live video creates sensory overload, he said, in which dreams and distorted realities are seen through puppets and masked characters.

The experience is heightened through the intimate setting of the studio space, said Bostian, where scenery design by junior Amanda Baker, Hudson, requires the audience to become part of the environment. The audience also will have the opportunity to provide feedback to the playwright during talkbacks after each performance, says Bostian, who developed "To(ta)lerance" last year while involved with the Timber Lake Playwrights Colony.