A tragic play with a disturbing premise will be presented this month in the Playwrights’ Theatre in Shasta Hall, and the determination is that this is no Romeo and Juliet.

This fall, the School of Arts will bring to Sacramento State a controversial look at self-mutilation with the tragedy, “Miriam’s Flowers,” that will run Nov. 16 through 19, 30 and Dec. 1 to 3.

“When I first read it I was stunned,” said Roberto Pomo, chair of the Sac State Theatre and Dance Department, who has been in theatre and film all of his life. The play, by Migdalia Cruz, portrays a young woman’s destructive search for self value through mutilation of her own sexual organs.

“The writing is so beautiful, it gets to the core of some of our innermost, darkest human issues,” Pomo said.

The play will be on stage at a time when not many playwrights are writing tragedies, and when more and more people are discussing self-mutilation among youth, Pomo said.

Wilma Bonet, leading Latino artist and performer from the Bay area, will fill in as guest director for the project. All actors in the play will be Sac State drama students.

“Miriam’s Flowers” does contain nudity so it is intended for mature audiences only.

In 1991 and 1995, Cruz received National Endowment for the Arts playwriting fellowships, and she has published works through Routledge Press, Penguin Books and Applause Books.

Sac State theatre evening performances begin at 8 p.m. Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. Theatre tickets are $11 for general admission, $7 for students, and $6 for groups of 10 or more and can be purchased from the Sac State Central Ticket Office at (916) 278-4323, or from Tickets.com at (916) 766-2277.

For more information, call the Sac State Department of Theatre and Dance at (916) 278-6368.