Hello, Artfully Engaging readers and arts supporters.
My life has been forever altered by an act of mass violence and I know that I am not alone.
If you live in the United States, you likely have also been impacted by mass violence or shootings or know someone who has. Artfully Engaging is usually a blog where I celebrate engaging in creativity in the Twin Cities...so why am I writing to you today about such a serious topic?
What we see on stage is never separate from the world outside. Art helps us process, question, and imagine new possibilities. Since so many of us are currently grappling with tragic events related to gun violence, it makes sense that we would see that reflected in the art around us.
In 2015, I performed in the chorus of the Guthrie Theater's The Events which was a play that explored a fictional mass shooting event. It was a cathartic production to be involved with but I'm angry and heartbroken that a decade later the play is still as relevant as when it was written.
Which is why I am asking you to get involved. Please join the community in taking action so that in ten years we can look back and say that we acted with compassion and urgency, and that we did make a difference in reducing gun violence.
Artfully,
My life has been forever altered by an act of mass violence and I know that I am not alone.
If you live in the United States, you likely have also been impacted by mass violence or shootings or know someone who has. Artfully Engaging is usually a blog where I celebrate engaging in creativity in the Twin Cities...so why am I writing to you today about such a serious topic?
What we see on stage is never separate from the world outside. Art helps us process, question, and imagine new possibilities. Since so many of us are currently grappling with tragic events related to gun violence, it makes sense that we would see that reflected in the art around us.
In 2015, I performed in the chorus of the Guthrie Theater's The Events which was a play that explored a fictional mass shooting event. It was a cathartic production to be involved with but I'm angry and heartbroken that a decade later the play is still as relevant as when it was written.
Which is why I am asking you to get involved. Please join the community in taking action so that in ten years we can look back and say that we acted with compassion and urgency, and that we did make a difference in reducing gun violence.
Artfully,
Artist Interview: Sandy Boren-Barrett, Artistic Director of Stages Theatre Company
I receive a lot of press releases from a lot of worthy events happening around town, but as soon as I read the press release from Stages Theatre Company I knew that I needed to help tell our community about an important event happening soon at Stages Theatre Company in Hopkins.
On Monday, October 6, they are presenting *ENOUGH: Plays to End Gun Violence, a national project that amplifies teen voices through bold 10-minute plays. These plays are written by young people who are courageously sharing their lived experiences and perspectives through theater
Tickets to the Stages Theater Company event are free but must be reserved in advance, so I encourage you to reserve yours now and and be part of this important community gathering.
*This is a nation wide event and there are other events happening in Minnesota on the same night, including at the Landmark Center in St. Paul. All events.
On Monday, October 6, they are presenting *ENOUGH: Plays to End Gun Violence, a national project that amplifies teen voices through bold 10-minute plays. These plays are written by young people who are courageously sharing their lived experiences and perspectives through theater
Tickets to the Stages Theater Company event are free but must be reserved in advance, so I encourage you to reserve yours now and and be part of this important community gathering.
*This is a nation wide event and there are other events happening in Minnesota on the same night, including at the Landmark Center in St. Paul. All events.
| ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM on Monday, October 6, 2025 Stages Theatre Company Mainstage Theatre @ Hopkins Center for the Arts 1111 Mainstreet Hopkins, MN 55343 Age recommendation: High School Aged Students & Adults |
For Twin Cities audiences, attending Monday's event is a meaningful opportunity to support youth artists, engage in community dialogue, and experience the power of art as resistance.
In my following interview with Sandy Boren-Barrett, Artistic Director of Stages Theatre Company, she shares why ENOUGH feels urgent in this moment, what audiences can expect, and how she hopes the evening will inspire change.
In my following interview with Sandy Boren-Barrett, Artistic Director of Stages Theatre Company, she shares why ENOUGH feels urgent in this moment, what audiences can expect, and how she hopes the evening will inspire change.
"My hope is that this work becomes a catalyst—not just for reflection, but for action."
~Sandy Boren-Barrett
It's clear why this is relevant now. What was the catalyst for Stages Theater Company to use your platform to stage this for our community at this time?
Sandy: ENOUGH: Plays to End Gun Violence is now in its fourth year of producing powerful 10-minute plays written by teens—many of whom have witnessed or personally experienced gun violence. This is not a new issue, and unfortunately, it is not improving. In fact, it’s getting worse.
I first heard about the national ENOUGH project this summer, in the wake of the heartbreaking deaths of Mark and Melissa Hortman. I had the honor of hearing Speaker Melissa Hortman speak at Minnesota Arts Advocacy Day at the Capitol last winter, and was deeply moved by her commitment to the arts. Bringing ENOUGH to our community felt like a meaningful way to honor her advocacy, bring people together who are ready to push for change, and - most importantly - amplify the voices of teens in our community and beyond.
What kind of conversations and impact are you hoping for this to have on the involved artists and audiences?
Sandy: Art is a powerful form of resistance. It helps us process pain, challenge injustice, and imagine a better path forward. Our hope is that these plays will ignite critical conversations and inspire real, lasting change in communities across the country.
Teens are asking hard questions - how do we avoid becoming another statistic? How do we make our voices heard? With these plays, they are standing up and saying, ENOUGH.
My hope is that this work becomes a catalyst—not just for reflection, but for action.
Is there a quote or moment in putting this together that stands out?
Sandy: In Holding Space by Abby Dougherty, one of the characters, Katherine, says:
“I smile at everyone in the hall - people I know, people I don’t, even people I don’t like -because I don’t know which one of them might bring a gun to school tomorrow. And I don’t want to die because I didn’t play nice.”
That line hit me hard. I couldn’t stop thinking about my own kids and the teens I work with every day. It shook me, and I knew I couldn’t look away or stay silent.
We have to do something.
What didn't I ask that you want people to know about?
Sandy: I want people to show up. To come to Stages Theatre Company on October 6 and be part of this community. I want them to sit in the discomfort that teens live with every single day at school.
I want them to see that it doesn’t have to be this way. To imagine something better. To believe they can be part of making that change.
And most of all, I want them to leave inspired to act—because that’s how we’ll know we’ve made an impact. When audience members walk out and say, ENOUGH.
Sandy: ENOUGH: Plays to End Gun Violence is now in its fourth year of producing powerful 10-minute plays written by teens—many of whom have witnessed or personally experienced gun violence. This is not a new issue, and unfortunately, it is not improving. In fact, it’s getting worse.
I first heard about the national ENOUGH project this summer, in the wake of the heartbreaking deaths of Mark and Melissa Hortman. I had the honor of hearing Speaker Melissa Hortman speak at Minnesota Arts Advocacy Day at the Capitol last winter, and was deeply moved by her commitment to the arts. Bringing ENOUGH to our community felt like a meaningful way to honor her advocacy, bring people together who are ready to push for change, and - most importantly - amplify the voices of teens in our community and beyond.
What kind of conversations and impact are you hoping for this to have on the involved artists and audiences?
Sandy: Art is a powerful form of resistance. It helps us process pain, challenge injustice, and imagine a better path forward. Our hope is that these plays will ignite critical conversations and inspire real, lasting change in communities across the country.
Teens are asking hard questions - how do we avoid becoming another statistic? How do we make our voices heard? With these plays, they are standing up and saying, ENOUGH.
My hope is that this work becomes a catalyst—not just for reflection, but for action.
Is there a quote or moment in putting this together that stands out?
Sandy: In Holding Space by Abby Dougherty, one of the characters, Katherine, says:
“I smile at everyone in the hall - people I know, people I don’t, even people I don’t like -because I don’t know which one of them might bring a gun to school tomorrow. And I don’t want to die because I didn’t play nice.”
That line hit me hard. I couldn’t stop thinking about my own kids and the teens I work with every day. It shook me, and I knew I couldn’t look away or stay silent.
We have to do something.
What didn't I ask that you want people to know about?
Sandy: I want people to show up. To come to Stages Theatre Company on October 6 and be part of this community. I want them to sit in the discomfort that teens live with every single day at school.
I want them to see that it doesn’t have to be this way. To imagine something better. To believe they can be part of making that change.
And most of all, I want them to leave inspired to act—because that’s how we’ll know we’ve made an impact. When audience members walk out and say, ENOUGH.
Sandy Boren-Barrett has been shaping Stages Theatre Company for more than three decades, directing over 75 productions, championing new work and representation on stage, and helping bring nationally recognized honors to this Twin Cities company dedicated to young audiences.
Nearly 3,000 artists in more than 150 communities have participated across the three previous ENOUGH Nationwide Readings. The Atlanta flagship anchors ENOUGH!’s Nationwide Reading on October 6, 2025, a coast-to-coast series of readings staged on the same evening in 31 states and 70 communities, including sites as far flung as the U.S. Virgin Islands and a U.S. military school in Germany. Participating organizations range from professional theaters to high schools, universities, faith-based groups, and gun violence prevention organizations, in both rural and urban communities. Each organization pairs its performance with a community engagement component that addresses the realities of gun violence specific to their area, ensuring the plays spark dialogue and action at a local level. Confirmed venues are listed at enoughplays.com/reading.
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