#ENOUGH:
Plays to End Gun Violence
Metro Theater Company and The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis are proud to partner to present #ENOUGH: Plays to End Gun Violence—a yearlong theater initiative that encourages teens to confront gun violence by creating new works of theater. The public launch of #ENOUGH will be held on December 14, the eight-year anniversary of the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting, in which 20 young children and six adults were shot and killed at a Newtown, Conn. elementary school. #ENOUGH: Plays to End Gun Violence is viewable at any time between December 14 and 20 for free on the streaming platform Broadway on Demand (BOD).
The pre-show event from The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and Metro Theater Company features a virtual discussion about the impact of gun violence.
Adena Varner – The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
Poli Rijos – Center for Community Health Partnership and Research at Washington University and The St. Louis Area Violence Prevention Commission
Nancy Wamser – Mehlville Special School District
Sal Martinez, Rod Colvin – Employment Connection
Denay Reynolds – Cure Violence Program
Celeste Grayer – St. Louis Public Schools
John Wolbers - Metro Theater Company
#ENOUGH brilliantly weaves together art and activism,” said Julia Flood, Metro Theater Company Artistic Director. “When we give young people a voice, we all learn. When we let young people lead, we all benefit. When we empower young people, we all win.”
The mission of #ENOUGH, a sponsored project of the non-profit arts service organization Fractured Atlas, is to promote playwriting as a tool for self-expression and social change and provide a platform for America's playwrights of tomorrow to discover and develop their voices today. Michael Cotey, #ENOUGH founder and producer, launched the project in 2019, inspired by the young people who took to the streets (and continue to do so) to manifest the change they wanted to see in the world.
Out of nearly 200 submissions from 23 states and 3 countries, 7 plays were chosen by a panel of award-winning playwrights including Lauren Gunderson, David Henry Hwang, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Robert Schenkkan, and Karen Zacarías.