New Jersey Stage January 2015 | Page 92

of Gun Safety Tips found on the Internet. Mostly, the play tries to frame the conversation as seen from various parts of the country from the feeling of protection desired by rural areas and the recreational fun of shooting to their abuse by criminals. “Right now, the whole conversation seems to be between the granola-eating, Whole-FoodsShopping, Rachel Maddow-listening, liberal pink lefties… and the gun-toting, Palin-voting, redwhite-and-booyah conservative card-carrying NRA members, as if there is nobody in between who New Jersey Stage has mixed feelings about the whole thing,” says her character. “I would love to help facilitate real conversation between people who have felt like they couldn’t talk to each other, whether that be a husband and wife in the same house or two people who are Republican and Democrat who have not felt like they could open up with each other,” said Lewis. During the play’s initial run in Chicago, where it premiered last July, the theatre had a moderated conversation with the audience after every performance. The January 2015 pg 92