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 11. Each week we will spotlight a member of the cast or creative team. This week the light shines on Kate Huffman.
What character do you play? How does she serve the play?
What character do you play? How does she serve the play?
I play Shannon, a liberal real-estate agent and mother of two who suffers from the modern-day plague of desperately trying to balance everything and maintain sanity in that process. She's riddled with anxiety and has a fear of guns. The audience tracks the transformation she undergoes when she's presented with the other side of an issue. She thought she felt comfortable with the stand she had taken, but now faces doubt about her decision. We watch her conquer her fear and become more powerful and more comfortable in her own skin. Unfortunately, this causes rifts other places in her life. The audience tracks her husband's transformation, as well, and since the journey these two characters go on clashes... well, you know, dramatic tension is born!
What challenges have you faced as an actor in preparation to play this role?
Shannon's emotional life is fraught, which is both fun and challenging as an actor to explore. I have no idea what's it like to experience anxiety myself. KIDDING! But the specifics of her fears are different than my own, and the outcomes of facing her fears as the play goes on proved challenging to tackle. It's important not to let the heaviness of where the play winds up come home with me. That's always a challenge for actors.
Talk about your director and castmates.
Oh, those jerks? 😉 Talk about a dream team. Randee took such good care of us from moment one. She respects each of us so much and was so attuned to our needs at all times. She was constantly presenting us with more questions to explore. She utilized "intimacy training" in early rehearsals between the two married couples as well as with the two same-gendered friendships, and it truly set us up to trust and rely on each other through the whole process. I feel so safe onstage with any of my castmates. I know they'll be there, present in the moment as the character, and as a human as we encounter the specific challenges of LIVE THEATRE!
What for you is the theme or message of the play?
The message has less to do with guns and more to do with whether we, as individuals in a divided country, can have a dialogue about issues we disagree on. It's a huge challenge in society right now. This play doesn't solve the issue of guns or even offer solutions. It encourages us to ask questions about human relationships. The issue of control within relationships is also present in the piece. If we are so quick to cut out people from our lives when they stand on the opposite side of an issue, what happens when someone within our own household suddenly changes sides?
What do you hope audiences will take away?
I hope they walk away with questions. I hope they are moved by the specific journeys of the characters but also that they look within themselves and ask whether they have any tendency to shut down or flare up when opposing viewpoints are presented. I don't imagine anyone will walk away with new feelings about guns, and that is great, because it's not the point.
Friends with Guns plays Friday March 22 with an extension to Saturday May 11 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.
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