PLAYWRIGHT'S STATEMENT
 

I always wanted to say something about gun violence. But what could I write for the stage that could possibly match the absurdity and tragedy of gun violence in the real world?

 

Then, I had the good fortune to meet Ivy Schamis. Ivy was teaching a Holocaust History class at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida when a kid, a former student, with swastikas etched into his boots and his bullets, shot into her building and then her classroom. Her students were studying hate crimes at the time. Two of them were murdered. It was Valentine’s Day.

 

I asked Ivy if I could interview her, and she graciously agreed. I didn’t have a plan. I just knew that her ability to hold onto her humanity, her humor, and her heart after this tragedy was something I needed to investigate. I found strength in the stories of her students and inspiration in her determination to move forward and find purpose over pain. 

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It occurred to me that if the world insisted on being insane, maybe on the stage, I could be even more insane and ask what would happen if a teacher returned to her students as they were—funny, full of life, fearful, and curious, to teach a final lesson with all of us as part of her classroom?  After all, who among us couldn’t use the warmth, humor, and steady hand of a beloved teacher right now? 

 

It’s two weeks before the election as I write this. How to survive even more insanity? And then I remember the kids, teachers, and parents who have survived and who turned their pain into purpose. I am nobody in their story, but I do not doubt that I could be anyone in their story. My friend Cheryl Dunn Bychek, who edited the novel, American Roulette, said this thing that I can’t get out of my mind, “At some point in our lives, we realize that everyone we know has been touched by cancer. Soon, that will be true for gun violence.” 

 

I hope to hell she’s wrong, but at the rate we’re going, I have to wonder. So, instead, I hope that we can watch this play together—laugh and cry together, then shake off our dull acceptance of the hate and gun violence that reaches into our churches, synagogues, mosques, movie theaters, sporting events, concerts, and classrooms. We may be a world divided right now, but I do believe, with everything left of my bruised little heart, that there is one thing we can all agree on. None of us want kids to be shot in school. 

 

If you feel so moved, this program lists great reading material, documentaries, and important organizations doing the hard work to mitigate gun violence. See if there is a place that makes sense for you to donate, volunteer, or just learn more about this issue. 

 

Thanks for coming. Theater is always a leap of faith, but you may have needed an even bigger running start for this one. I know our beautiful cast and crew will capture your hearts and make the journey worthwhile.

 

In Peace,

Michelle Kholos Brooks