The Gun Show Reviews
Chicago Tribune- Recommended
"...I am not entirely sure that the choice of keeping script-in-hand works. At times, it feels like a theatrical conceit that distances us just when the piece is homing in on its target. But the power and rawness and unexpected amount of humor in Lewis' piece make it a welcome addition to the growing body of creative work around our national gun-related body count."
Chicago Reader- Recommended
"...Lewis keeps things interesting by employing a number of Brechtian theatrical tricks-presenting her tales in fragments, directly addressing the audience. But the most interesting choice of all is the playwright's instruction that a male actor play her, which Juan Francisco Villa does with aplomb, never for a moment indulging in campy female impersonation."
Chicago Stage and Screen- Somewhat Recommended
"...The Gun Show has an important message and successfully communicates it in its 75 minutes. I enjoyed the opportunity to hear another perspective on a difficult issue that this country is struggling to address. As a play, Lewis’s piece did not always work for me, but her voice and stories are compelling and The Gun Show is a valuable and balanced addition to the national dialogue on guns."
Around The Town Chicago- Highly Recommended
"...One of the beautiful things about our “theater scene” is the little, intimate spaces and the thought-provoking productions that they present to us. The North Berwyn Park District and their “16th Street Theater”, now in its 7th season, is one of these bright spots. Their current production “The Gun Show” written by EM Lewis ,while short in running time (approx 75 minutes-I will explain later) is an amazing “one person” show that deals with a problem that is brought to mind every Monday morning when we hear the number of shootings that took place over the weekend. The numbers keep growing and yet, there are many who say that “guns do not kill people”! “It is people who kill people”!"