Four years have passed since the tragic deaths of seventeen students and staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parland.
Jason Odell Williams’ 2016 written play, Church & State, came to life last year on the night of February 8th, at the Main Street Playhouse theater—and the legacy couldn’t have been more timeless back then and to this day.
Alluding to the Sandy Hooks Elementary School shooting of 2012, this resonating performance was carried out at a time where mass shootings have become a trend in the United States, additionally insinuating the anniversary of the Parkland shooting.
“I hope this play raises questions, sparks debate, makes people laugh, cry, and laugh while crying,” said Williams in his author’s note from the Playwright. “And of course I hope it moves people in some way. Perhaps enough to take action with their voice and vote and bump the needle ever so slightly in the conversation about gun violence.”
Touching on social media, gun violence, and political-theological integration, this showcase has brought about its powerful message to stir up conversations inside the city of Miami Lakes about the recurring school shootings and a government mingled with religion.
Most importantly, the play approached the controversial topic of gun control, an issue that has sparked a severe back-and-forth feud between critics and advocates, and a matter that was sure to come alive once again on this day, which marks the second year after the Parkland shooting.
“I’m glad to be a part of this group,” said Anthony Linzalone, who played Charles Whitmore. “This was a wonderful subject to tackle and hopefully we can get something done about these gun laws,” he told The Harbinger.
The plot of this play is primarily based on the devastating Sandy Hooks Elementary School shoot-up, where 26 people were killed. Charles Whitmore, the main character of the storyline, is a North Carolina politician and political candidate competing for another term as a Senate.
He jeopardizes such an opportunity, however, when news leaked to the media of his negative views on guns and God, stating that he could not believe in a divine being that would allow such atrocities to take place over and over again — a representation of cancel-culture today.
Struggling against his devoutly Christian wife, Sara Whitmore, and his obstinate campaign manager, Alex Kline, he accomplishes the impossible and wins his seat in office after going off script and voicing his real thoughts to the voters.
Because the play was a representation of gun violence, the message had hit close to home for many people, including the actors.
“It’s extremely important that younger generations come see theaters like this so that it is easier to understand how it [gun violence] affects others around you,” said Melissa Bibliowicz, who played Alex Klein.
Christy Antonio, the actress who played Sara Whitmore, revealed that the middle school, which resides in Parkland, where her daughter studied, went into lockdown on February 14 when the Stoneman Douglas mishap went down, and she is less than pleased with the lack of actions taken to establish safe gun regulations.
“How many days do you turn on the TV and see that a guy was wrestling with his kid, only to have his gun go off and kill him,” said Antonio. “I am all for common sense gun safety.”
After the show came the appearance of the special guest speaker of an artist and gun safety activist. Manuel Oliver. Oliver had become an activist after the death of his son, Joaquin Oliver, in the midst of the Parkland shooting. He now utilizes his artistic abilities and travels across America with his organization, Change the Ref, to spread awareness on gun violence.
“I would prefer the term ‘gun safety’ over gun control,” said Manuel Oliver. “We really don’t have to remove guns, but just place some restrictions on them instead.”
The theater production highlighted the pressing topics that have dominated Congressional discourse for years. Combining elements of humor, tragedy, and nostalgia, Church & State is uncensored when it comes to gripping and expanding on the problems transpiring everyday.
“I am completely sided with the progressive youth because they can make all the difference in the world.”
