"Trust is essential in the game of life and death," Outlaws Theatre producer Justin Leahy said, referring to the drama troupe's upcoming show, PREY! The show will be performed at 11:15 p.m. at the Outlaws' normal place in 6 Arts Building.

Written by second year graduate student Javier Guerrero, PREY! is actually a several-year-old project of the playwright's.

"I had originally written this about six years ago in a creative writing class," Guerrero said. "I decided that I would rework the script to suit the stage and try my hand at [creating a piece for] Outlaws. The script has evolved significantly since its original draft, and with the help of the director, the play is much tighter and clearer."

Another graduate student, Aaron Galligan-Stierle, is helming the play.

"Traditionally, Outlaws is an ... undergraduate activity," Galligan-Stierle said. "This show is unique from other Outlaws plays because it is written and directed by graduate students. It's also been developed for quite some time. Some Outlaws shows are writers' first drafts. This is on about draft six or seven."

The short play follows two partners-in-crime, Rock and Sheek, as they pull a multi-million dollar diamond heist. After botching a communication with the crime boss they're meeting, the friends find themselves in a tight spot.

As the play progresses, things start falling apart rapidly for the two, putting their friendships and safety on the line.

"Tensions fly, and by the end of the play we realize that greed and selfishness runs higher than trust, faith and loyalty," Guerrero said.

Guerrero cites things from movies to religious influences as inspirations for writing PREY!

"Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs, David Mamet's American Buffalo, my friends in Los Angeles and the Catholic church," Guerrero said.

One of the Outlaws producers, Sean Bradley (junior-theatre), is also acting in the play and believes that this week's show really benefits from having two grad students putting the show together.

"They are both graduate students so I think they bring a little more expertise to the table than might be the case in a typical Outlaws [play]," Bradley said. "[They] have done a great job of collaborating to make sure they have the same vision."

It's this teamwork that Guerrero thinks will most benefit this week's show.

"[Aaron is] an awesome director who envisions the script in many of the same ways as I do," Guerrero said. "[He] is very open and understands the collaboration process."

Galligan-Stierle's resumé only helps the show's driving energy. He has directed a variety of shows before, from short one-acts to world premiere musicals.

As for his hopes for the audience's reactions tonight, playwright Guerrero simply hopes "that people are silenced by the grim ending. I really would like people to go home and think about the message."