If We Were Villains M. L. Rio

Oliver is one of seven young Shakespearean actors at Dellecher Classical Conservatory, a place of keen ambition and fierce competition. In this secluded world of firelight and leather-bound books, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingénue, extra.

But in their fourth and final year, the balance of power begins to shift - good-natured rivalries turn ugly, and on opening night real violence invades the students' world of make believe. In the morning, they find themselves facing their very own tragedy, and their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, each other, and themselves that they are innocent.