Stage It: Arming Teens to Speak Up About Guns

Enough! is a nationwide reading of six new 10-minute plays by teen writers that confront gun violence, with the aim of allowing youth voices to be heard, sparking conversation and inspiring action against one of the most pressing issues of our time. The plays, which were selected by a committee of nationally renowned playwrights, will be presented in an evening of readings staged simultaneously by theaters, schools and community groups across the country on Monday, October 6. Titles include Holding Space; Oh Look, Another School Shooting!; Nobody Cares About Death; The Perfect Victim; We Didn’t Have to Meet Here; and Under Wraps. Locally, Ensemble Theatre and UCSB have teamed up to participate with a reading at UCSB’s Hatlen Theatre while a different cast also performs simultaneously at The Alcazar Theatre in Carpinteria, with both 6-8:30 pm events including a post-show panel discussion/Q&A session with local community leaders. All proceeds ($5 suggested donation at the Alcazar; $10 GA, free for students at Hatlen) will be donated to local initiatives dedicated to ending gun violence. Visit https://etcsb.org/enough-plays-to-end-gun-violence or www.thealcazar.org for descriptions of the plays and other details. 

Elsewhere, UCSB Naked Shakes winds up its early fall production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest back on campus at UCSB’s Commencement Green near the lagoon October 3-5 after visiting Elings Park in September. The Bard’s magical realism tale of revenge and redemption will have, yes, three free performances. The middle of the three takes place on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 4) – and is part of a special 20th anniversary celebration and Naked Shakes alumni reunion event after the show at the Studio Theater.

Visit www.campuscalendar.ucsb.edu/event/naked-shakes-20th-anniversary-10032025. 

Also, New York-based Fellowship for Performing Arts brings its production of The Screwtape Letters back to the Granada on Saturday afternoon, October 4, once again presenting the spiritual warfare drama based on noted Christian novelist CS Lewis’ book of the same name.