NewYorkRep & The Brady Center Present CHURCH & STATE Throughout The US To Commemorate The Parkland Shooting

To commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Parkland shooting, NewYorkRep will present a nation-wide series of staged readings of the award-winning, Off-Broadway play, CHURCH & STATE on February 14 at seven universities throughout the US.

Written by Jason Odell Williams, CHURCH & STATE tells the story of a gun-loving senator running for re-election. He examines his position on the second amendment following a shooting at his children's school. The play explores how religion, guns and social media influence our political system.

University theaters that will present the reading on February 14 include: - UCLA. - Butler University in Indiana. - University of Kansas. - Tulane University - Point Park University in Pittsburgh. - New World School of The Arts in Miami. - Elon University in North Carolina.

A former Stoneman Douglas High School student who survived the shooting is a Freshman at Elon and will be the Assistant Director of Elon performance.

NewYorkRep is partnering with The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence (bradycampaign.org/bradycenter), which is providing speakers to lead talk-backs following each performance.

Markus Potter, NewYorkRep's Artistic Director noted, "I was proud to direct the off-Broadway production of Church & State, and now honored to partner with the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence to use the message of the play to stand in solidarity with the Parkland community, to deliver a unified message to the country that we reject blood-soaked apathy and demand common sense gun safety legislation."

"Having helped produce this important play in New York and then watch continued gun massacres occur, it seemed important to take it off the shelf and carry the message across the country," said Gayle Waxenberg, Executive Director of NewYorkRep.

"Church and State starts a much needed dialogue about gun violence prevention. Using humor we can dive into a tough topic and have meaningful conversations. With a gun violence prevention congress now in the House it is exciting that we can move from thoughts and prayers to action. We're excited to help facilitate this dialogue," said Kyleanne Hunter, Vice President of Programs, Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

Church & State, had its New York premiere, presented by lead producer Charlotte Cohen, off-Broadway at New World Stages in 2017.

NewYorkRep's mission is to produce new plays and musicals that inspire and compel social change by telling stories that expose the travesty and beauty of our humanity. By illuminating social and ethical questions through art, we strive to create provocative theater that promotes empathy, compassion, and inclusion. The mission of The Brady Center and its many local chapters is to create a safer America by ending America's gun violence epidemic. Ticket information, talkback details and other details will follow.

Tickets are complimentary and will be available at each venue prior to the reading. UCLA

School of Theater, Film and Television Theater 1330 Macgowan Hall 245 Charles E Young Dr E Los Angeles, CA 5:30PM Butler University Lilly Hall 4600 Sunset Ave Indianapolis, IN 7:00PM New World School of the Arts 25 N.E. 2nd Street, Room 5902 Miami, Fl 4:30PM and 7:30PM University of Kansas William Inge Theatre 1530 Naismith Dr. Lawrence, KS 5:30PM Elon University Yeager Recital Hall Center for the Arts 485 N. Williamson Ave. Elon, NC 4:30PM Point Park University Ballroom, Lawrence Hall 201 Wood Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. 7:00PM Tulane University The Lab Theatre 104 McWilliams Hall New Orleans, LA 5:00PM.