Safety First

Play #85 - Safety First by Danna Call

Sam, Joe, and Joe's sock puppet sidekick Ammo are here to teach the kids an important lesson about gun safety! Everything goes pretty well at first, as they learn what to wear, what to pack, what not to pack, and how to generally be safety minded on a hunting trip. However, as the lesson progresses, it turns out that Sam doesn't always follow his own rules, and he's only here as part of court-ordered community service after the allegedly accidental shooting of his ex-wife's new husband (it just grazed his shoulder!). Sam has a bit of a temper on him, and very nearly takes it out on Ammo in front of the kids, but Joe talks him down, and sends the kiddies home with a reminder of the important lessons... and a request that maybe, some of what happened here today could just stay between them.

I have a fondness for kids' shows that take a dark twist:

Me with Jared (as Ramon) and Willy Nilly in Rainbow Annie is the Angel of Death by Jayce T. Tromsness
The Distracted Globe Theatre Company

And, as you can see from the photo, I have a fondness for puppets in these scenarios. So really, this was kind of right up my alley. It's a little dark, and a little off-kilter. I'm not a hunter or a gun person, so I found the piece interesting in the way it presented Joe (and Ammo) as reasonable, responsible gun voices, in contrast to the more unbalanced voice of Sam.