In a medium-sized studio at the back of West Linn High School's theater building, audience members will transport from a hospital waiting room to the shrines of Kyoto, Japan — following moments of serendipity.

Starting on Friday, March 4, the school's drama department will take the stage to perform "This Random World," a play written by Steven Dietz that traces the intersection of lives. From a mother determined to maintain her independence with one last trip to an internet prank gone awry, audience members will watch what it means to love, lose and be touched by the fortuity of life.

"I have always been a fan of Steven Dietz, and I think his plays are both topical and accessible. This play felt like a perfect temporary antidote for all we are going through now as a human race," said drama director Steven Beckingham.

Beckingham said he selected the play for the upcoming performance as it offers insights into life situations his students are bound to encounter: love, death, careers, mental health, religion and much more.

"Now, it is a play, so there is a certain amount of — to steal a phrase from the art world — hyper-realism. But I think that's what makes it so thought-provoking. And now, more than ever, we need art to provoke thought and help us find beauty. After all, we certainly do live in an ever-changing and random world," he said.

Beckingham said the department is excited to perform live shows once more. He hopes attendees will connect to the piece and also appreciate how theater can revitalize people.

"I would love for audiences to walk out of the theater wanting to perhaps reconnect with an estranged family member or perform a random act of kindness or simply think about their existence and what it means … maybe even not take it for granted," said Beckingham. "The thing is, we all have opinions, and, many times, assumptions towards people we don't even know. At the end of the day, we might be more connected to that random stranger than we could have ever imagined."

If you go:

What: West Linn High's performance of "This Random World"

When: 7 p.m. March 5, 10, 11 and 12

Where: Black Box Studio Theater room (located in the West Linn High auditorium building)

Tickets: $10 for adults, $8 for students and can be purchased online at wlhstheatre.org or at the door (capacity limited)