The original student-written play “Monopolis” premieres at 8 p.m. Friday in the Lupin Theatre. It is written and directed by senior Hope Barnard, one of a handful of students in the theatre and music department to direct their own productions this semester. Barnard, however, is the only student to write, direct, produce and perform in the same show.

The ensemble production features six Tulane student actors, three professional actors and a dedicated team of technical workers and stage managers. The plot of “Monopolis” revolves around a dysfunctional family that plays an annual game of Monopoly to honor the memory of their lost mother. The crux of the show is the relationship between Alice, the self-sacrificing daughter who wants to leave town and pursue her dreams, and Hank, her anxious father who is terrified of letting her go.

“It’s about tension between people wanting to go away and trying something new and different versus people who are afraid of change,” Barnard said. “I grew up in a very small town in southern Alabama, so some of it is drawn from my own personal experience with wanting to become an actress.”

Barnard conceived the idea of the script in a playwriting class, and approached the dean of the theatre department in September about writing and performing in a play for her honors thesis. The department held auditions for the spring semester in December, forcing Barnard to audition actors and cast her show before she had completed the script.

“Rather than wearing one hat and switching to the other, I was a writer for part of the day and a producer and a director as well,” Barnard said. “It was a huge juggling act.”

Rehearsals typically involved working with specific scenes, running light and sound cues and rehearsing special effects. The amount of coordination and teamwork that took place during each rehearsal demonstrates the dedication of the cast as a whole. All cast members have their own special moment or scene during the play, giving each actor time in the spotlight. Several new talents are featured in the “Monopolis” cast and backstage team, including Barnard who has no prior directing or playwriting experience.

“It’s very much a pioneer voyage for a lot of people in a lot of different ways,” Barnard said. “We’ve really pulled it together ourselves [with] little help from outside sources. I’m really proud of us for pulling it together the way we have despite the odds.”

Other student-directed productions this semester have included “Beautiful Bodies” directed by Maebetty Kirby, “The 25th Annual Putnam Country Spelling Bee” directed by Ryan Jones and “Hayfever” directed by Stephen Eckert.

“Monopolis” runs at 8 p.m. from April 13-14. and at 2 p.m. on April 15. “Hayfever” is scheduled at 8 p.m. April 17-21 and at 2 p.m. April 22. Both shows are free and open to the public.