Olney Theatre Center invites you to a staged reading of the ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence. This reading is brought to you through a collaborative effort with Imagination Stage, Round House Theatre, and Mauricio Pita & Team.
Founded in 2019, ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence calls on teens to confront gun violence by creating new works of theatre that will spark critical conversations and inspire meaningful action in communities across the country. Their mission is to promote playwriting as a tool for self-expression and social change, harnessing this generation's spirit of activism and providing a platform for America's playwrights of tomorrow to discover and develop their voices today.
The Smiles Behind by Niarra C. Bell – What if a single conversation could stop tragedy in its tracks? A young girl risks everything to put that to the test as she confronts the police officer attempting to chase down her beloved brother.
No Prospering Weapons by Justin Cameron Washington – Hip-Hop and theater collide in this poetic ballad of a play, where the lines between victim and suspect, righteous and wicked, and good and evil are blurred in the aftermath of a violent crime.
Allegiance by Arianna Brumfield – Growing up in a community where opportunities are scarce, Nehemiah feels burdened with the responsibility of rebuilding his fractured family. When tragedy rips a hole in his world, he must decide whether to fulfill that responsibility or seek revenge and which life he was destined to live.
Salted Lemonade by Taylor Lafayette – Worrying over your 18-year-old son’s well-being can sometimes feel like a full-time job for Lisa, a widowed mother who lost her husband to gun violence. But when Jamal doesn’t text her, it may be that the day she’s feared ever since her husband died has finally arrived.
Ghost Gun by Oliva Ridley – Propelled by the urgency of his own decay and desperate to be heard, BLACK BOY delivers his “villain’s monologue” - a parting speech typically delivered to a hero before their death - to his audience held at gunpoint.
You can find more information regarding ENOUGH! and its mission here.
