February 9, 2001

Open Fire fuels discussion on school violence

Loyola University Department of Drama and Speech will present Open Fire, by Howard Burman, a theatrical evocation of the alienation of American youth.

The play is very loosely based on different school shootings that have occurred around the nation. Teenage alienation and pain are examined but no glib, easy answers are offered. The characters are lonely outsiders who recognize their own sense of impotence and inadequacy. In a highly theatrical form, this piece addresses many of the other issues raised by these harrowing events: gun control laws, school violence, and the anger and frustration survivors still contend with daily, for example.

When Open Fire was first presented in Switzerland it provoked a heated post- performance discussion. Some European artists feared the play was another example of America's culture of violence that often permeates film and television. However, the play does not glamorize violence but sees it as the desperate response of children who have been wounded by a callous society.

Joanne Gordon, Ph.D., will direct the play. Tickets are $10 general admission, $7 for students and seniors. Group discounts are available.

The play will run in the Lower Depths Theater on February 9, 10, 15, 16, and 17 at 8 p.m. and on February 11 at 2 p.m.