ENOUGH! WIll Premiere Six New Short Plays By Teen Writers On Gun Violence This October

ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence will present six new short plays by teen writers as the winning selections of its fourth national competition. The works will premiere October 6, 2025, in a flagship performance at a to-be-announced venue, joined by simultaneous readings in communities across the country.

This year’s selected plays will explore gun violence from multiple angles. Holding Space by Abby Dougherty (Georgia) examines the emotional toll of healing after a school shooting. Oh Look, Another School Shooting! by Matias Finley (Wisconsin) considers the cyclical nature of violence in schools and the finger-pointing that follows. Nobody Cares About Death by Ian Hodges (Florida) imagines Death’s own response to the mounting number of gunshot victims. The Perfect Victim by Payton Aurora Jones (California) looks at community care in the face of systemic racism and violence. We Didn’t Have to Meet Here by Pace Rundlett (Mississippi) highlights the human stories behind statistics. Under Wraps by Olivia Stanley (Texas) uses poetry and movement to depict the escalation of intimate partner violence.

ENOUGH! was created in 2019 by Michael Cotey to call on teens to confront gun violence by creating new works of theatre that can spark conversation and inspire change. This year’s winners were chosen from 127 submissions representing 28 states. The selection panel included Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, bestselling author Jason Reynolds, playwrights James Ijames, Kate Hamill, and Karen Zacarías, and dramaturg Ken Cerniglia. Each winning playwright will receive a $500 stipend, publication and licensing through Concord Theatricals’ Playscripts imprint, and craft development support from The Dramatists Guild.

Jason Reynolds praised the submissions: “The dynamism and variety of style and perspective found in our selections represent what ENOUGH! is about, while also shining a light on the already bright future of our young people, as playwrights and otherwise. This has been a gift.”

As part of the nationwide initiative, schools, theaters, and community organizations are invited to host local readings on October 6. These readings will be free to produce and are encouraged to include a community engagement component that addresses the impact of gun violence locally. Cotey, ENOUGH!’s creator and Joaquin Oliver Artistic Producer, emphasized, “These stories demand we confront not just the violence itself, but everything that allows it to persist. These teen writers aren’t asking for sympathy. They’re asking us to see the cages we’ve built and to break them.”

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