2020
Year One | A triumph in a chaotic year.
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Overview
No one could have anticipate the magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet despite its impact on all aspects of everyday life, ENOUGH! received 184 ten-minute plays from teen writers nationwide in its first-ever Call for Submissions in the spring of 2020.
With the guidance of world-renowned playwrights, ENOUGH! selected seven plays that confronted gun violence through the lenses of race, police brutality, community violence, school shootings, and the roots of gun violence in American mythology.
As it became clear that a return to the theatre would not be possible in time for ENOUGH!'s Nationwide Reading due to the pandemic, readings across the country pivoted to online platforms. The plays were co-produced in a ground-breaking digital collaboration among six major regional theatres for the streaming platform Broadway on Demand and by 50 communities in 25 states and on 3 continents through readings staged simultaneously on December 14, the eighth anniversary of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
In total: over 1,100 artists participated and the readings reached an audience of over 6,000 in perhaps the largest theatrical event of the year.
ABOVE: Communities involved in the #ENOUGH Nationwide Reading
BY THE NUMBERS
3
26
50
# CONTINENTS WHERE READINGS OCCURRED
184
# OF STATES WHERE A READING TOOK PLACE
1,100
#OF READINGS STAGED ON dec 14
6,000
# of play SUBMISSIONS
EST. #of artists WHO participated in nationwide reading
EST. total nationwide reading audience
2020 SPOTLIGHT
While there were numerous amazing stories to come out of ENOUGH!'s first year, we thought we'd spotlight three that are special to us. Click the image below to read more.
PLAY SUBMISSIONS
In our first ever Call for Submissions ENOUGH! received 184 plays from 23 states and 3 continents. Submissions were vetted by over 50 theatre professionals and educators who narrowed the field down to 20 finalists for our selection committee.
WINNING PLAYWRIGHTS
From L-R: Adelaide Fisher (Ms. Martin's Malaise), Eislinn Gracen (Guns in Dragonland), Azya Lyons (Togetha), Debkanya Mitra (Malcolm), Olivia Ridley (Ghost Gun), Sarah Schecter (Hullabaloo), and Elizabeth Shannon (Loaded Language).
2020 ENOUGH! SELECTION PANEL
What does an Academy Award winner, two Tony Award winners, and two of America's most produced playwrights have in common? They selected the winning plays in 2020!
Lauren Gunderson
Robert Schenkkan
David Henry Hwang
Karen Zacarías
Tarell Alvin McCraney
NATIONWIDE READING
50 communities across 24 states and 3 continents participated in the first ever Nationwide Reading.
DIGITAL PRODUCTIONS
Nearly all of the readings were done digitally due to COVID. While not what we had intended, digital readings had their benefits: larger audiences, ability to cast actors regardless of distance, and giving us many examples of how creative our partners were with producing the ENOUGH! plays. Check out their work in the gallery below!
555
440
WERE UNDER 18
WERE BIPOC ARTISTS
OF THE 1,100 ARTISTS INVOLVED
ENGAGEMENT EXAMPLES
Even though the pandemic kept people from meeting in person, below is a snapshot of some of the conversations that took place around the Nationwide Reading. In addition, producing organizations wrote letters to their local state representatives, distributed advocacy material, made Soul Boxes, and signed our letter to the Biden-Harris administration.
$4,253
CONFIRMED amount raised for VARIOUS gun violence prevention organizations W/ 2020 READING
DIGITIAL PREMIERE
In a ground-breaking collaboration with six major regional theatres - Alliance Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, Berkeley Rep, Goodman Theatre, Orlando Repertory, and South Coast Repertory - ENOUGH! co-produced a digital presentation the winning plays for the streaming service Broadway on Demand, a streaming service.
The Digital Premiere is now available for FREE as an educational resource for streaming here (free Broadway on Demand account required):
OUR PARTNERS
We were proud to collaborate with these amazing organizations. Together, we worked to empower teens all across America to use their voice to end gun violence.
SPONSORS
LEAD PRODUCING PARTNERS
PROGRAM PARTNERS
