BANGOR – Hermon High School actors will perform the play “PALS” at 5 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 8, at Penobscot Theatre’s Bangor Opera House in downtown Bangor. Each show will be followed by a brief discussion of the play and the issues it explores.

Written by Falmouth playwright David Perkins and directed by Joanne Durkovich, “PALS” is an intimate look into the lives of three teenagers attending a New England prep school.

The characters played by Zach La Fave, Mark Noyes and Tanya Sandberg find themselves confronting the issue of suicide and, through the power of friendship, find hope in choosing life over death.

Hermon students recently presented “PALS” at the state high school one-act play competition, winning top honors for their powerful performance.

“This is a very high-quality production with outstanding performances,” said Mark Torres, producing artistic director of Penobscot Theatre. “We are proud to be partnering with the high school and the Acadia Hospital to bring a wider audience to see the show.”

The underlying theme of suicide and the pressures that face teens attracted the attention of Acadia Hospital, which has sponsored the “Speak Out for Kids” youth wellness and suicide prevention campaign for the past nine years.

“Youth suicide is very difficult to discuss, yet we must encourage people to talk about it,” said Dottie Hill, director of Acadia Hospital. “We feel the play is an opportunity to educate the public about youth suicide prevention and help raise awareness of warning signs and community resources.”

Acadia will provide promotional support to the play and offer free suicide prevention information and free gun locks at the performance.

Reserved seat tickets are $5 and can be purchased by calling the Penobscot Theatre at 942-3333. Tickets also can be purchased online at www.penobscottheatre.org or at the Bangor Opera House, 131 Main St., Bangor, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, and starting at noon Saturday, May 8.

Pianist Elena Spanger will provide special pre-performance music.