Oglebay Institute’s Towngate Theatre will host a one-night-only performance of Quantum Theatre’s rendition of EM Lewis’ timely and topical play “The Gun Show (Can we talk about this?)” at 8pm Monday, February 25.
“The Gun Show (Can we talk about this?)” is a thoughtful one-man play excavating the playwright’s own complicated relationship to gun culture. While proponents on both sides talk past each other, making it seem like there is no one with conflicting feelings on the subject, “The Gun Show (Can we talk about this?)” explores the many nuanced considerations in that narrative dominated by political sound bites and simple solutions.
Founder and artistic director of Quantum Theatre, Karla Boos, is a Wheeling native, a graduate of Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy, and was in some of her very first performances at Towngate Theatre. She said the play offers “interesting stories from one person that make you think about things in new ways.”
“The playwright has written a plea for reasonable people across a spectrum of opinions on gun control to talk to each other,” Boos said.
“She’s sure they’ll find a whole lot that unites them against very vocal, radical opinions that are only outliers, on both the right and left, which are getting all the attention. Until reasonable people can talk to each other, nothing changes, and we are not safe or free in America right now, something that pretty much everyone wants.”
A Thought-provoking Performance from a Unique Theatre Company
Oglebay Institute director of performing arts Tim Thompson said the show is important to share with our community because of the “horrible condition our country is in with all the gun violence.”
“How are we going to get through this?” Tim said. “How do we change the gun culture? The best way to get through a crisis is to talk about it. This play—like any good theatre—presents a problem, provokes thought and discussion and then hopefully shows us the possibility of how to deal with it.”
Tim said he is happy for the opportunity for this show to come to Wheeling for this performance, an opportunity that was made possible through an anonymous donor.
“We are so lucky to have Quantum Theatre, which is one of the finest professional theaters in Pittsburgh, come to Wheeling and share their talents with us,” Tim said.
“Quantum Theatre is a very unique and progressive theatre company that is dedicated to doing plays that are important to our society, have universal themes, and explore the truth about what it is to be a human being. I would like to thank our anonymous donor for spearheading this project and making it happen.”
About the Show
“The Gun Show (Can we talk about this?)” runs approximately 60 minutes with no intermission. A facilitated conversation will follow the performance. There is no admission fee for the performance. Attendees are asked to simply pay what they can. All proceeds collected will support ongoing community theater and performing arts programs at Towngate.
Seats will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. The box office opens one hour prior to the show.
About Quantum Theatre
Now in its 28th season, Quantum Theatre is a company of progressive, professional artists dedicated to producing intimate and sophisticated theatrical experiences in uncommon settings, exploring universal themes of truth, beauty and human relationships in unexpected ways.
About Towngate
Towngate is a cornerstone of creative life in Wheeling and serves as an entertainment destination for residents of the Ohio Valley and beyond. People of all ages and backgrounds gather here to create and experience art onstage. Most of all, Towngate celebrates the essential power of theater to illuminate our common humanity. The community enjoys and participates in hundreds of live performances, classes and workshops year-round.
