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ABOUT THE SHOW
When you lose a son, what do you do?
If you're Manuel Oliver, you turn grief into action.
GUAC is a fearless, funny, and deeply moving theatrical tour-de-force about a father turned activist. Seven years after his son Joaquin "Guac" Oliver was killed in the Parkland shooting, Manuel Oliver channels his love, loss, and rage into a powerful force for change. From pepperoni bacon pizza to air guitar solos, Oliver paints a vivid, unforgettable portrait of a vibrant life cut short—and a father’s relentless fight for a better future. Both a celebration and a rallying cry, GUAC pulls zero punches and speaks to anyone who has ever loved, lost, or dreamed of making a difference.
Photo by Cameron Whitman Photography
Photo by Donna Aceto Photography
Photo by Cameron Whitman Photography
PERFORMANCE HISTORY
UPCOMING
Stay tuned!
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RECENT
2025
01/25-02/16, 2025 - Washington, D.C. - Woolly Mammoth **Helen Hayes Recommended **
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2024
10/25-11/3, 2024 - Off-Broadway, NYC - The Public
8/2-3, 2024 - San Diego, CA - San Diegans For Gun Violence Prevention
7/18-28, 2024 - Tysons, VA - 1st Stage's Logan Solo Festival
3/8-10, 2024 - New York City - United Solo Festival
2/17/24 - Lansing, MI - MSU Latinx Film Festival
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2023
11/03 & 11/11/23 - New York City - United Solo Festival, named BEST PRODUCTION of the Festival
08/05/23 - Chicago, IL - Greenhouse Theatre, as part of Guac's Magical Tour
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An early version of the play called Guac: My Son My Hero toured House of Blues venues in 2019.
CAST
Joaquin "GUAC" Oliver
Manuel Oliver
CREATIVES
Written and Performed By
Manuel Oliver
Co-Written By
Directed By
Sound Designer
Lighting Designer
Executive Produer
Patricia Padauy-Oliver
Developed as GUAC: My Son My Hero under the original direction of James Clements.
A Father Stages the Unthinkable: Losing a Son in a School Shooting
By Christopher Kuo
Manuel Oliver had arrived at the point of his one-man show where it was time to re-enact the murder of his son, Joaquin, who was one of 17 people killed in a mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., in 2018.
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He donned a paper mask of the face of Joaquin, who was a 17-year-old senior when he was killed. He grabbed a hammer and turned to a life-size portrait of Joaquin and methodically banged it four times — once for each bullet that had struck him — creating a jagged hole. Then Oliver crumpled to the ground, as if lifeless.
THE EXHIBIT
VISIT, EXPERIENCE, CREATE, THINK, ACT…and MORE
An exhibition about creativity and unconventional action against gun violence.
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DEMAND is a call to confront the urgency of this moment, to channel grief and outrage into action, and to imagine a world where we no longer live in fear of the next headline.
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Experience and interact with empowering work, such as a video game developed by Webcore Games, to even a motorcycle that started as a father-son project for Manuel and Joaquin
BOOKING
If you are interested in professionally producing GUAC, please email: michael.cotey@gmail.com.
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