BANG BANG
Description
Lila, a young Black ex-cop, has been on leave from the police force ever since she shot an unarmed Black youth. She’s moved back in with her mother, Karen, and is drinking beer for breakfast. So when Tim, a white playwright, shows up at her door to casually inform her that his play inspired by her experience is being adapted into a movie, Lila’s trauma is dragged out for speculation once again. The star of the film, their ex-cop bodyguard and Karen are pulled into the fight, leading to an epic metatheatrical standoff in a living room play about a living room play about gun violence, police, art and appropriation.
This dark, fast-paced dramedy by the author of Punch Up and Mustard traces the responsibility we have as artists in storytelling and the impact of what it means to be inspired by true events.
Reviews
“Sandler—one of the most talented and prolific playwrights of her generation—explores how power, privilege and intersectionality complicate discussions around the big, important issues of the day.”
- Wayne Leung, Mooney on Theatre
“Unsettling, intense, and very, very funny.”
- Angela Guardiani, The Charming Modernist
“Sandler’s play turns a skeptical eye on the truism that art builds bridges, but is clearly driven by a belief that it can reflect the confusion, prompt laughter, and perhaps crack open perceptions of the experience of others.”
- Karen Fricker, Toronto Star
“Sandler’s explosive new play takes current issues like police violence against Black men, voice appropriation, mental illness and white male privilege and combines them to make a dramatically charged and very funny show.”
- Glenn Sumi, NOW Magazine