Jul. 4--If its mission is successful, "The 99" will have to change its name to "The 0."

Terry Henshaw, director of "The 99," said the name of the walk-through reality theater refers to the 99 young people who die every day in the U.S., according to Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

"It's a huge epidemic," Henshaw said. "You hear about it (deaths), but you don't always add up the numbers."

Touted as "the ultimate near-death experience," the production opens Saturday in the Oakwood Mall parking lot. "The 99" is housed in an air-structure and consists of 13 rooms, all of which feature graphic depictions of the leading causes of death to young people in America.

Work on "The 99" began in September 2007, Henshaw said, after he and a friend decided teens needed a relevant message about the truth about consequences.

The team, which consists of Henshaw; his wife, Brenda; their daughter, Victoria; and several interns, opened "The 99" in Rogers, Ark., in May. The Tulsa-based production chose Enid out of larger Oklahoma cities for its second stop.

"There was just something about Enid," Henshaw said. "We were received so overwhelmingly, we said, 'OK, we're coming to Enid.'"

In Rogers, Angie Dawson, who does public relations work for "The 99," said the reaction of visitors after the production was "I want to change my life."

"It's changed a lot of people's lives for the better," Dawson said. "Now they see the consequences and the aftermath of what they do."

While "The 99" is not recommended for children younger than 12, Henshaw said it's not based on scare tactics but on reality.

"It's not all doom and gloom," he said. "For many, it's a very positive experience."

He would, however, give "The 99" an R-rating.

"We don't show anything people haven't seen already (on TV or in movies), but we want to be sensitive to families," he said.

Visitors to "The 99" will go on a 45-minute guided tour of the presentation.

Youth and Family Services of North Central Oklahoma will have a table set up to provide information and referrals to interested participants.

"The 99" will run Saturday and Sunday nights beginning this weekend. Other dates are July 11-13 and 18-19, with the last performance on July 20. Hours are 7-11 p.m., and tickets are $8 at the door. Free tickets are available at some local businesses.

"The 99" will go on to Omaha, Neb., after Enid. Henshaw said they plan to end up in Florida in 2009, then see what happens after that.

"We hope to help over a million teens," he said. "We want to make 'The 99' a much lower number."

For information on the production, go to www.what isthe99.com.

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