The scripts are gone, preparation is over and there’s a full audience filling the space where there had once been piles of plywood and empty chairs. The events taking place barely resemble the rehearsals from a couple weeks ago.

The work of the cast and crew of Northeastern Theatre’s “A View From the Bridge” culminated with last weekend’s opening show at the Studio Theatre.

“This is the most powerful [Northeastern] piece I’ve seen this far,” said Steve Hackansson, a senior theatre and economics double major after Thursday evening’s performance.

Junior theatre major Michael Satow describes the play as an intensely touching look at the struggles of family life and social issues that often consume society.

“It’s a break from the musicals,” said Satow, who plays the role of an illegal immigrant named Marco. “People can come sit down and watch a [relatable] topic on the stage.”

Director Nancy Kindelan said even though Miller wrote the play in the 1950s, the social issues discussed are just universal people issues that span generations. However, Kindelan refuses to comment on what those specific issues are. She said she doesn’t want the audience to come in looking for something – she wants them to discover it on their own.

“We do shows like this to get people talking about it,” said Brian Peterson, a senior theatre major who plays Eddie, the conflicted protagonist who develops an inappropriate affection for his niece, whom he raises from childhood. The plot gets people thinking, interested and able to connect with what is going on in the play, he said.

Kindelan and set designer Justin Townsend incorporate some different techniques to enhance the reality. To better represent the community of Redhook, Kindelan created extra action for the supporting characters. Even though the play centers around the three members of the Carbone family and the two illegal immigrants they decide to house, the rest of the cast is still present throughout the entire show. The actors rarely leave the stage, but rather exit into the scaffolding and watch the action along with the audience. They stand nearly as still as statues in odd positions on ladders and wooden planks, remaining a part of the set.

“This is the most work I’ve ever put into a production,” said Steve Brachmann, a freshman journalism major, who auditioned for “A View” after hearing about it in a theatre class he was taking.

He plays an immigration officer, which is a considerably smaller role than other roles he has taken, he said.

The industrial set that Townsend created consists of metal bars jutting into the audience from the back of the stage. The ladders and metal scaffolding make clanging sounds every time an actor climbs up or down.

The Studio Theatre has no curtain, so nothing can be hidden from the audience’s view. The lighting controls the audience’s perspective. It ranges from a dim light focused on the narrator, Alfieri (Matt Seaver), as he converses directly with the audience, to a blinding light as the action climaxes in the final act.

With only one more weekend to go, the cast’s nerves may be calmer, but the work is far from over, Kindelan said. After a quick rehearsal yesterday, tonight marks the first of the last four performances.

“We feel like we’re in the middle of it,” Kindelan said. “[The work] never stops; every night that the actors work is a night for them to continue to grow.”

Those who missed the opening weekend of “A View” can catch the show Oct. 19-22 at 8 p.m. in the Studio Theatre. Tickets will cost $11 on Wednesday and Thursday and $13 on Friday and Saturday, while students will receive a $2 discount for each performance.