The Great American Gunshow: Philadelphia
The Great American Gunshow is a national project where we travel to different cities and towns across the country and interview individuals about the role of guns in their community. Those interviews are then translated into a performance for those interviewed – a community reflected back to itself. The project premiered in Philadelphia in 2025, and will tour to Appalshop in Whitesburg, KY in 2026, and Mondo Bizarro in New Orleans in 2027.
The Great American Gunshow: Philadelphia is an interview-informed performance exploring American gun culture, gun violence and trauma, and the tension within our society over the “right of the people to keep and bear Arms.” Gunshow documents, maps, archives and reflects our collective experience through a theatrical presentation designed as a unique hybrid of a live performance event and a participatory forum, created by Team Sunshine Performance through 75+ hours of interviews with Philadelphians. Gunshow explores the humanity at the heart of the issues surrounding guns and invites audiences to engage in a more nuanced discussion about firearms in Philadelphia, by setting aside political polarization and investigating whether or not we can find a productive, hopeful future for our community. The Great American Gunshow: Philadelphia is part of a national project, with lead support provided by the William Penn Foundation.
Created by the ensemble, produced by Team Sunshine Performance
Team
Director/Creator Alex Torra
Lead Artist/Creator/Performer Makoto Hirano
Community Liaison Sarah Branch
Performer/Creator Benjamin Camp
Video Producer Daniel Gatto
Production Manager Kat Larson
Sound Designer Jordan McCree
Stage Manager Avery Roberts
Project Mentor Ping Chong and Company
Design Strategy Partner Mike O’Bryan/Humanature
Host Partners: Asian Arts Initiative, Japan American Society of Greater Philadelphia, Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble (Bloomsburg, PA), Mondo Bizarro (New Orleans), and Appalshop (Whitesburg KY).
Photos by Joanna Austin
Support
THE GREAT AMERICAN GUNSHOW is a National Performance Network (NPN) Creation & Development Fund Project co-commissioned by Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble, Asian Arts Initiative, and NPN. This project has lead support from the William Penn Foundation, and additional support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Network of Ensemble Theaters’ Travel & Exchange Network (NET/TEN).