DF&Co conducted book-length oral histories of families whose lives have been shaped by guns, in South Florida, Montana and Southern California. The ensemble adapted those stories into a podcast and a live theater work that premieres at UCLA's Nimoy Theater on November 15 & 16, 2024, and on tour around the country after that.
The plays are staged as if the audience is watching a radio theater troupe performing a live broadcast. Four actors voice dozens of characters, accompanied by a 3-piece band and a sound effects artist.
By opening a window into families’ lives, DF&CO explore diverse perspectives and foster dialogue around the complex roles that guns play in our society. They hope that this project can help Americans learn how to talk to each other about gun-related issues.
DF&Co feel that guns are a major issue in our country, and that lives depend on learning to listen to each other's experiences and perspectives.
There are plenty of statistics about guns. The ensemble would like to introduce some of the people and stories, behind the facts and figures.
DF&Co believe that telling our own and listening to others' stories decreases fear and increases respect and understanding, and that this can move us toward productive dialogue.
Meet the Performers
Photos by Rose Eichenbaum
Justin Alston
Actor/Collaborator
Sola Bamis
Actor/Collaborator
Krysta Gonzales
Actor/Collaborator
Natalie Camunas
Actor/Collaborator
Anthony Rey Perez
Actor/Collaborator
Actor/Collaborator
Donna Simone Johnson
Actor/Collaborator
Dan Froot
Director & Sound Effects
Christopher Rivas
Actor/Collaborator
Who are our partners for Arms Around America?
Who supports Arms Around America?
Arms Around America is a National Performance Network (NPN) Creation & Development Fund Project co-commissioned by The Myrna Loy, Miami Light Project, UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance, and NPN. The Creation & Development Fund is supported by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts (a federal agency). For more information: npnweb.org
This program is made possible with funding by the New England Foundation for the Arts' National Theater Project, with lead funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and additional support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, and by a grant from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, and by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture.