"Guns & Ammo" consists of 10 one-act plays whose characters and individual plots are completely unrelated. The shorts are united, however, by an interplay that unfolds in segments between them, and uses a common setting: volatile Los Angeles at the time of the Rodney King riots, widely considered the worst race riots in United States history.
Don't remember the early '90s very well? Don't worry. Here's the (extremely) short version of what happened:
Sparked by the return of a "not guilty" verdict for several white and Latino policemen who had been caught on videotape beating King -- a black man -- the riots began April 29, 1992 and went on for six days in the streets of Los Angeles. Although the King verdict most directly caused the uprising, racial tensions and unrest had been slowly mounting in the south Los Angeles area for some time. Thousands of people, predominantly young black and Latino males, took part in mass crimes including arson, looting and murder.
Eventually federal troops were called in to restore order. But by the time the violence subsided, between 50 and 60 people had been killed and as many as 2,000 more were injured.
Against this chaotic backdrop, "Guns & Ammo" examines the real roots of hatred and violence in America. Sutton's series of vignettes takes a closer look at fear and distrust in the many ways they manifest themselves, through dialogues both explosive and contained. The plays unravel layers of hostility inherent to the atmosphere bred by the riots, revealing how easily people can distort and lose sight of reality.
With each play compelling and insightful in its own right, the interplay that ties them all together keeps a steady ribbon of suspense flowing throughout the shorts. In "Guns & Ammo," Sutton seeks to create a collection both seemingly disjointed and fully cohesive -- a challenging feat, but clearly one worthy of the accomplished playwright.
Sutton, who is a visiting associate professor of theater, received a Pulitzer Prize nomination for his play "Voir Dire." His works, which include "As It Is in Heaven," "The Benefits of Doubt" and "Hearth and Home," have been produced at the Cleveland Play House, the Seattle Repertory Theater and the New York Theatre Workshop, as well as many other theaters across the country and abroad.
"Guns & Ammo," his latest completed project, has quite a lengthy history. Sutton began work on the collection a decade ago, before coming to Dartmouth, and continued to develop it while writing and adapting other plays over the years.
This summer, Sutton teamed up with Peter Hackett '76, who chairs the theater department, to design a course that would culminate in the first full production of the play.
Traditionally, according to theater department policy, all Dartmouth students are eligible to audition for main-stage plays, but "Guns & Ammo" features a cast made up exclusively of students taking theater 65, Drama in Performance, this term. As a result, the students have had the opportunity to get involved in all aspects of bringing "Guns & Ammo" to life.
"The focus of the class is to examine the process for developing new work for the theater," Hackett explained. From working with unfinished drafts of the script to constructing the set to each cast member taking on multiple roles in the 10 short vignettes, students have helped turn Sutton's collection into a powerful group of plays ready for the stage at last. Hackett added that in addition to doing all the work on "Guns & Ammo," students will intern with the New York Theatre Workshop at the Hop in August.
Theatergoers will get to experience "Guns & Ammo" up close and personal, with seating right on the Moore Theater stage where the actors perform. Also, all set and costume changes are done in full view of the audience.
Even while transporting onlookers back in time to the riots, "Guns & Ammo" maintains a theatrical transparency that draws the audience in to the conscious world of the plays themselves.
Don't miss this first glimpse of a new work by a nationally acclaimed playwright. "Guns & Ammo" will be performed at the Moore Theater July 25, 26, 28 and 29 at 8 p.m. and July 29 and 30 at 2 p.m.
A spotlight post-performance discussion with the director and cast will be held on July 25. Tickets are available through the Hopkins Center box office for $3 for Dartmouth students, $6 for all other students and $12 for general admission.