The Road Theatre on Magnolia is proud to present a female perspective on the controversial issue of gun ownership in America, in Stephanie Alison Walker's Friends with Guns playing Friday March 22 through Sunday May 5. Each week we will spotlight a member of the cast or creative team. This week the light shines on the playwright herself, Stephanie Walker.
What was the catalyst for you to write this play?
I began writing Friends With Guns at the end of January of 2017. It had been in my head ever since I discovered, to my shock, that our dear liberal parent friends were gun owners. The fact that I was so shocked made me realize how naive I had been about gun ownership and who owned guns. I knew then that there was a play somewhere in there and that in order to write it, I would have to confront a lifelong fear. I would have to examine my own biases and set them aside. I would have to actually hold a gun... And fire it.
I began writing Friends With Guns at the end of January of 2017. It had been in my head ever since I discovered, to my shock, that our dear liberal parent friends were gun owners. The fact that I was so shocked made me realize how naive I had been about gun ownership and who owned guns. I knew then that there was a play somewhere in there and that in order to write it, I would have to confront a lifelong fear. I would have to examine my own biases and set them aside. I would have to actually hold a gun... And fire it.
Tell our readers what the play entails.
I went into writing this play with a commitment to set aside my own fears/biases against guns. I knew I would have to step into the shoes of gun owners, lace them up and truly see this issue from their perspective.This play is about guns, yes. But it’s also about human beings. It’s about women. It’s about control. It’s about power dynamics in marriage. It’s about listening. It’s about what most divides us and what we fear most. It’s about parenthood, motherhood, marriage, violence, kinship, loneliness and fear. It’s about all of that and more. My objective with Friends With Guns is to inspire audiences to listen newly about a terrifying and divisive issue- no matter which side of the issue they identify- because without listening, the conversation can never evolve. Without listening, there is no conversation.
Friends with Guns plays Friday March 22 through Sunday May 5 at the NoHo Senior Arts Colony at 10747 W Magnolia Blvd in NoHo. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sunday matinees at 2 pm. There is plenty of street parking but arrive early to guarantee a space.
Call 818.761.8838 for tickets and more information.
Call 818.761.8838 for tickets and more information.
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