I would like to ask the question, “If there is no peace at home, how will there be peace in society?” One of the many complex issues in Yasmina Reza’s Tony Award winning God Of Carnage, which follows two couples, Alan and Annette (Andrew Bocks and Dawn Purcell) and Michael and Veronica (JJ Hoss and Hadley Williams), as they come together to discuss a brief altercation which occurred at school between each couples’ sons. The night starts off very civil and calming, but events slowly start to spiral into chaos as the individuals start to reveal their true colors.

Yasmina Reza (a French playwright) has shown that her work carries much artistic integrity. The show preludes many events about society, humanism, and the possible art of co-existence. The play evidently showcases the universal topic of how we all live together and remain civilised while doing it. Much of this philosophy is tested thoroughly. The couples touch on topics from art and Africa to the death of a pet. Items are destroyed and a marriage is put in jeopardy; this all happens in roughly an hour.

God Of Carnage also studies the struggles of marriage, how fragile it can be and how marriage, like most things, should be handled with care. Moments of intensity can either make the marriage itself stronger, or they can easily crumble the marriage under the pressure. Yasmina uses rich subtext in all of her strong-willed characters to possess the audience systematically. But what marks does she peg on humanity? Maybe that we aren’t always sure of ourselves? Or, perhaps, that we don’t care about the person sitting next to us, and that we can’t support in times of dying need? No character is ever safe from harsh and cruel punishment. Alan gets the brunt of the animalistic tendencies – being too attached to his cell phone for his own good and peddling a type of medicine receiving much speculation for its satanic side effects.

His wife, Annette, is equally as foul-mouthed and inclusive to her own needs. Give her a little bit to drink and, well, she gets a little queasy (she pukes on stage), a true feature in its own right to witness (and experience). Michael is a bigger fellow, the king of the house, and rules with an iron fist (partially where I feel Reza touches on masculinity). He discusses how he had his own gang growing up, and Alan then compares it to Spartacus…but in today’s society, it would be “Spiderman.” The truth is, the children are semi-reflective of their parents. Alan, at one point, goes on to call his kid a “savage,” while Michael kills his daughter’s hamster because he was annoyed by the sound it made in the night.

Of course, you can’t leave out Michael’s wife, Veronica, who, in my opinion, is the toughest character to read and react upon, whereas Annette clearly establishes herself and lets loose. I suppose you could argue that Veronica is a follower who sees the confines of Annette’s marriage and has a sudden epiphany that her life is just as disgraceful…perhaps even worse. The night leads on ideally, tempers are thrown, people scream, and opposite personalities clash with one another in striking gusto fashion. As the poster says, it is “A comedy of manners, without the manners,” which is such an accurate rendition no other tagline seems to express.

Humanity may seem highly reflective in the film’s title about the actual God Of Carnage, and in the text where Alan talks about coming back from Congo, where children are taught to kill when they are eight years old, or when Michael reflects how children consume lives and then destroy them. I find these to be vindictive statements and highly reflective of their own existence. Some may get a different approach to the artistic direction of Reza and the environment she encompasses.

I enjoy discussing the topic of civility – as this is highly regarded in the script. Towards the end of the show, tensions are toxic and marriages are crumbling under the pressure. I love how in the beginning, the couples arrive to discuss their children’s altercations and discuss a way to resolve the matter, when in fact, they each can’t understand their own selves. It took each other’s company to understand that life is going nowhere for them. Can we also talk about how cynical and villainous Alan is? Peddling a medicine that is slowly deforming anyone who takes it. Alan seems to show no remorse or any justification for his actions. But compared to the rest of the characters, he is seemingly normal. At least he knows how to make decisions and has the drive to succeed and problem solve.

After viewing God Of Carnage on the Siena stage, I felt the life had been ripped out of me or rather as though I had been defeated. This is actually a dark comedy (if you can believe it or not) – so there are numerous accounts of where you can laugh out loud, and you will want to fight it; my suggestion is you don’t. Andrew Bocks, JJ Hoss, Dawn Purcell and Hadley Williams are all between the ages of 18-22 and are playing 40-year-olds. They handle the tough topics with slight ease and add an extra layer of empathy to the characters. I loved every second the show offered. I was, in one moment, in hysterics and in the next, questioning my own actions. I kept thinking, “Was I supposed to laugh at that?” – which I feel was the overall goal this cast evoked.

In the end, it really takes human relationships and human interactions, such as how much parents’ behavior has an influence on their children. I mean, if your child was in a similar situation, would you let them settle the situation or take a different approach? Are we born with civilised traits? Or do we learn them? Yasmina has a very poignant way of viewing life and here has created a very personable show. The conversations flow very naturally. God Of Carnage is a nice study into the confines of human nature.

For director, Kerry Graves, doing the piece was a no-brainer. “I had seen the show, and remember being amazed by the script,” she said. “There is a lot to think about, and having college students portraying people in their forties I thought was a huge challenge. It’s also not the type of script I’m drawn too…This is very realistic.”

When asked about the suggested audience, the tough subject matter and the content being recommended for mature audiences, she replied:

“It’s the language. There is a great deal of swearing and really offensive things said…But they are there for a reason. I love the way the play builds and its peaks and valleys, but it keeps building and building until it’s such a mess at the end.”

She also couldn’t be prouder of her performers.

“I’m so impressed with what these young actors have done. It just blows my mind.”

God Of Carnage plays Thursday, Feb. 19 through Saturday, Feb. 21 at 8 p.m. in Francoeur Theater, PAC

Tickets are $6 for students and $8 for adults.

Special tickets are available from Michael Orlando in his office for only $3.