Most of us have no idea what our lives will look like when the time comes to attend our 10-year high school reunion. We could be married with kids, be living abroad or even be jobless and living on the streets. Or, as "Say Goodnight, Gracie" (a play directed by 2001 Marquette alum Jon Beidelschies) suggests, we could just be lounging around at our friend's apartment, smoking pot and eating Twinkies.

"Gracie," which opened Jan. 16 and runs through Feb. 3 at the Boulevard Ensemble Studio Theatre, 2250 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., is a comedy written by playwright Ralph Pape that depicts five friends interacting in a flat on the eve of their high school reunion in 1976 New York City.

According to Beidelschies, that interaction includes talking about their expectations, hopes and dreams, making discoveries about where their lives are going to go—all while they drink a few beers, smoke marijuana and eat those fattening treats with the creamy filling. Beidelschies said Pape's play spoke to him because he empathized with the plight of the characters it created.

"I'm 29, so I'm right around the age the actors are," he said. "The idea that when you leave a safe place like high school or college and start to realize there's a whole other world out there really resonated with me. Five or 10 years down the road, you start looking back on where you've been and sort of wonder how you got there."

While at Marquette, Beidelschies majored in English and Theater and credits Marquette professors in providing him with the tools that enabled him to direct this play.

"Marquette was fantastic training ground," he said. "My first year in school was also (Department of Performing Arts Department Chair) Phylis Ravel's first year, and I was part of the first group that got to study under her. I really can't say enough about Marquette's theater department, they've been putting out a lot of really good actors over the past few years."

The intimate atmosphere of the Boulevard Theatre (a 50-seat black box studio) fits the intimate atmosphere of the play. Beidelschies said he was grateful Milwaukee has so many different venues to support such a lively theater industry.

"Milwaukee is a great theater town," he said. "There are a lot of people working thanks to the number of small theaters in town, like the Boulevard, which is my favorite place in Milwaukee. The Bay View area of town is a great place to discover."

Directing "Gracie" is a welcomed break from his day job. Beidelschies currently attends the University of Wisconsin Law School and will graduate in May.

"It's been great being able to work on this play over my winter break from school," he said. "It's nice to have a balance in your life between your day-job and your creative and intellectual outlets."

Whether his day-job will allow him to direct another play in the future, Beidelschies doesn't know. As it stands, he is proud the "Gracie" opportunity came his way and hopes audiences will enjoy it as much as the crew enjoyed making it.

"It's just a really funny, light piece that has well-drawn characters that give the actors something to sink their teeth into," he said. "We hope people enjoy it."