Oscar winner Julianne Moore, who has been a vocal advocate for gun control, is participating in a post-performance talk-back on behalf of Everytown For Gun Safety at the April 12 performance of Church & State. Jason Odell Williams’ political comedy is currently playing an open-ended Off-Broadway engagement at New World Stages.
“We are truly honored that Julianne Moore is taking time out of her busy schedule to see Church & State and join in the conversation on a subject that she is so passionate about,” commented the show’s producer, Charlotte Cohn, in a press statement.
Joining her will be John Feinblatt, president of Everytown For Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the U.S. Everytown has more than three million supporters and volunteers advocating for background checks on every gun sale, and laws that keep guns away from domestic abusers.
Moore heads the organization’s Creative Council, a group of more than 125 cultural influencers. “I fervently believe that this is not a partisan issue. This is not an anti gun or pro gun argument—it’s not a second amendment issue and does not deserve to be hotly debated as such. It is a safety issue,” stated the actor.
Directed by Markus Potter, the New York premiere of Church & State officially opened March 20 following a critically acclaimed run in Los Angeles. Fast-paced and funny, the play sheds light on how religion, guns, and social media influence politics and politicians.
The production is the latest in a string of Off-Broadway shows tackling gun violence and gun control laws. The Keen Company recently presented When It’s You, a solo play by Courtney Baron that explores the effects of gun violence in America, and the Roundabout Theatre Company staged Martín Zimmerman’s On the Exhale, another monologue piece examining the consequences of lax gun laws.
Tickets for Church & State are available for purchase through Telecharge.com or (212) 239-6200.
