Being a teenager is difficult-among the raging hormones, high school drama and growing up, it is a feat in itself to make it out emotionally (and physically) intact. But what happens when you struggle with your own self-identity and figuring out who you are in a sea of stereotypes and pressures to conform? In the short play Removing the Glove, teenager Will has much difficulty dealing with his own issues of self-expression and acceptance as he "removes the glove" about being left-handed-a clever allegory to "coming out of the closet" and being gay, respectively.

The 30-minute play, staged in the spacious lecture-hall-turned-theater Schwartz Auditorium, was an expertly executed rendition of the 1990s play written by Clarence Coo. Melanie Pollock '14, the director, stated in her director's note that she first saw the play five years ago and was intrigued by how its comical metaphor addressed a serious issue and its important message-because of bitter social stigma and stereotypes about being gay, it isn't easy to reveal yourself to others.

Will, played by Matt Eames '13, was the protagonist, and he gave an amazing performance as a teenager struggling with his left-handedness (sexuality) in a world where being left-handed was seen as unnatural, reprehensible and even directly called a mental illness. I absolutely loved Eames' performance-the perfect blend of awkward courage as he "removed the glove," first to a support group and then to family and friends.

The support group was led by Louis (John Schnorrenberg '14), whose hilarious antics and dialogues provided a comedic twist to the traditionally serious demeanor of a support group atmosphere. The rest of the five group members each had at least one other role in the play-the cast was only made up of 12 students-including game show hosts, newscast reporters and protestors. At the first support group meeting, they encourage Will to remove the glove, loudly chanting "tell them," which I personally thought could represent Will's internal struggle with what to do.

The game show scene, modeled after Family Feud, was yet another example of the prevalent stigma against "left-handedness" in society. The topic was "things that could go wrong on a first date," and one of the top answers given by the audience was finding out that the other person is actually a "lefty." Other moments that commented on this stigma were the remarks about stereotypes-like the shock of a football player at Will's school who came out as "ambidextrous," versus the obvious acceptance of painter Pablo Picasso, who was described as "artsy-fartsy," easily being left-handed because of the stigma against more artistic or "feminine" characteristics.

Will's family, who spent the duration of the play seated at a dinner table, consisted of Mom (Joanna Nix '14), Dad (Vikrant Sunderlal Chandel '15) and sister Cindy (Kelsey Segaloff '15), all of whom played their roles very well. Nix was one of the more compassionate and understanding characters, while Chandel reacted with anger and disbelief upon Will's announcement. Raging with intolerance, he was incredibly distraught that his son would never be football quarterback as an open lefty. Segaloff's character was very shallow, yet the important paradigm of a parent's biases blindly passing on to a child was clearly evident. She didn't seem to have a problem with Will removing the glove, but she did echo the statements of disgust and assumptions that her father made.

At school, Will faced his girlfriend Jessica (Sneha Walia '15) and friend Louis (Matt Crowley '15) who eventually accepted him, despite being left-handed. Walia, placed in a very uncomfortable situation, substantiated her interaction with other characters with snarky but true asides to the audience, mostly about relationships and the difficulties of high school. Crowley also gave a great performance as a friend who struggles to adapt to a changing relationship, questioning his own handedness when thinking back on past interactions with Will.

Removing the Glove tactfully continued an important dialogue about acceptance and openness that is important to have, despite how much progress we think has been made in rights and equality for the gay community. Homophobia still exists, whether in the media, the courts or the hallways of high school. Brandeis Ensemble Theatre's most recent production is especially relevant when you think back to media coverage of bullied teenagers who took their own lives this past year and the "It Gets Better" suicide prevention video movement.

No one deserves to feel discriminated against or threatened, so I applaud Brandeis Ensemble Theater for addressing such a pressing and compelling issue to society today and doing so with an outstanding performance across the board.