A Short Leap Theatre Co. To Produce Regional Premiere Of FRIENDS WITH GUNS

A Short Leap Theatre Co. will produce the regional premiere of Stephanie Alison Walker's "Friends with Guns," a dark comedy that asks questions about fear, safety, femininity, the right to bear arms, and our judgments about others. Performances will be held November 7 through December 7 at The Den Theatre.

It is the third production from A Short Leap, a new theatre ensemble dedicated to the guiding principle of fostering community. Its inaugural three-show season explores the question, "Who are we?"

You think you know your friends, your neighbors, your spouse, but what happens when you suddenly find out they have a garage full of guns? This new dark comedy explores the complicated issue of gun proliferation when two young liberal couples are forced to confront their assumptions about who should own a gun and why. "Friends With Guns" explores the question of what we can compartmentalize and what we can't.

The cast of "Friends with Guns" features Fabian Guerrero, Carina Lastimosa, and A Short Leap company members Amanda Hays and Josh Leeper. Avery Kiefer, Malachi Marrero, Tierra Matthews and Emilie Soghomonian are understudies.

Nathan Dale Short directs the production, with assistant direction by Emma Leeper and stage management by Jack Orchard. Lighting design is by Jenn Hessel, scenic and sound design are by Short. Short and Josh Leeper are the founders and artistic directors of A Short Leap Theatre Company.

"'Friends with Guns' is a script that scared me when I first read it, but I couldn't put it down," Short said. "In a seemingly endless time of ambiguity and derision, the play spoke to all I was feeling. All four of these characters push us to really dig deep and ask ourselves 'Who are we to each other?'"

"This play is obviously about guns, but it is also about connection; how it can expand our perspective, change our minds, and forge deep bonds," Emma Leeper said. "It encourages honest conversation and reminds us of the strength found in community. In a time when division often drowns out dialogue, this piece is a powerful reminder of what can happen when we truly listen to one another."

"Friends with Guns" will run November 7 to December 7 at The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. Performances will be: Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m. CT, Saturdays at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. CT, and Sundays at 3 p.m. CT.

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