“The Gun Show (Can We Talk About This?)” Sparks Dialogue on Gun Control
Anton Chekhov’s advice to playwrights – “If in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired. Otherwise don’t put it there” – finds its real-life counterpart in playwright E.M. Lewis’ short work, The Gun Show (Can we talk about this?) playing at Quantum Theatre through March 3.
Her version can be paraphrased, “If you keep a gun in the house, somebody’s likely to use it.”
The play is autobiographical, her experiences living in a world where firearms were commonplace, accepted and sometimes fun to play with. At this unusual and horrifying time in Pittsburgh, when guns have taken center stage, The Gun Show sharpens the focus on their role in American society.
