According to four Communication freshmen, “good theater” is about collaboration between all members of a production. Their performance of Harold Pinter’s “Betrayal” is an experiment of their beliefs in motion.

“Everyone has an input in things,” says producer Josh Lesser. “It’s not just the director telling the actors what to do. Everyone can work towards a greater good and put on shows that tell a really good story, like ‘Betrayal.'”

The play follows three characters entangled in a love triangle. The play opens two years after the end of the affair, and is then reenacted in reverse chronological order.

“It’s kinda along the lines of (‘Memento’), only a lot less murder and tattooing,” says Lesser in a phone interview. “It’s an interesting concept that you start out at the end of something that is really devastating for all three people involved, and the last image you see is a hope for a new beginning.”

Director Russell Berns says the process creates a more “truthful, more alive, more invigorating” final product. However, it comes with its fair share of difficulties: Discussing each aspect to every scene was time consuming.

“Sometimes I just want to say ‘No, I think your idea is completely wrong,'” Berns confesses. He says he restrained himself to maintain the group’s cohesion.

Both Lesser and Berns say they don’t know how their project will evolve after the curtains close on “Betrayal,” although they hope it will inspire other directors to work toward a more collaborative effort in their upcoming shows.

“Betrayal” runs in the Jones’ Great Room on Thursday, May 8 at 8 p.m., Friday, May 9 at 11 p.m., and Saturday, May 10 at 3, 8 and 11 p.m. Tickets are $5 at the door.