For the second year, Alleyway Theatre will join theatres across the country to produce Enough! Plays to End Gun Violence on Monday, November 6th 7pm. This free one night only event is open to the public, featuring readings of six brand new short plays about gun violence, written by high schoolers throughout the United States. Donations at the theatre will benefit Most Valuable Parents of Buffalo). The event is supported by generous assistance from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Funds at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. Visit www.alleyway.com for more information.
The Enough! initiative 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. Representatives from the Buffalo chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America will facilitate a conversation after the performance. Students from Frederick Law Olmsted, Cheektowaga Central and Frontier districts lead the cast including Juelz Colton, Mckenna Czeladzinski, Felicia Dorman, Taryn Fleming, Grace Gordon, Jocelynn Munoz, Amirah Proctor.
With the support of the Wilson Legacy Funds, Alleyway’s programming will include spring 2024 playwriting sessions, designed to support local high school playwrights create short plays to submit for inclusion in the national event next year. The funding also allows Alleyway to pay these participants for their time and artistry.
Enough! received 244 submissions from 36 states this past spring when it called on teens to write 10-minute plays on gun violence. This year’s plays were selected by nationally recognized dramatists Idris Goodwin, Lauren Gunderson, Zora Howard, Samuel D. Hunter, David Henry Hwang, Octavio Solis, and Lloyd Suh. Each winning playwright receives a $500 stipend sponsored by gun violence prevention organization Change the Ref, has their play published and licensed through Playscripts, Inc., and receives a Guild membership and craft training through The Dramatists Guild.
The winning plays are: The Smiles Behind by Niarra C. Bell (Virginia), A Call for Help by Pepper Fox (Kentucky), Lightning Strike by Amanda Fagan (Montana), A Disorderly House by Sam Lee Victor (New Jersey), No Prospering Weapons by Justin Cameron Washington (Michigan), and The Matter at Hand by Valentine Wulf (Washington). There will be a post-performance discussion facilitated by Moms Demand Action
