Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company with Change the Ref and The Public Theater present Manuel Oliver’s GUAC. On the seventh anniversary of the event that took his son’s life and the lives of sixteen others at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, this exhilarating performance considers what is possible in the wake of unprecedented tragedy. Conceived, written, and performed by Oliver, co-written by James Clements and directed by Michael Cotey, GUAC is a raw, heartfelt story about an immigrant family in search of the American Dream only instead to be confronted by a uniquely American Nightmare. The production runs at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company (641 D St NW) from January 25 – February 16, 2025. Tickets and further information can be found here. “I could not be more honored to start off 2025 with this gripping emotional journey of a father who refuses to be silent. The devastation of gun violence in schools across America cannot be normalized. GUAC not only honors Joaquin’s life but also paints the picture of a young activist’s life cut short. It is Joaquin’s spirit, amplified through this show and through his family, that urges us to address this crisis head-on because for him, it is already too late,” says Artistic Director Maria Manuela Goyanes. Art Design by Shepard Fairey courtesy of Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. Lead performer and co-writer, Manuel Oliver states, “after four years of working on this one-man show, I’ve never seen a better time and place for GUAC than at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company at the very time and place our new administration will be sworn in.” He adds, “it is in moments like these we must more than ever join in solidarity and revitalize our commitment to ending gun violence.” LOBBY EXPERIENCE Change the Ref will present a powerful lobby installation featuring activist works of art and sculpture in the Woolly Mammoth lobby during the run of GUAC (Jan 25 – Feb 16). From visual art to interactive virtual experiences, guests are invited to visit the exhibit for free during all business hours, take photos, and take action to forge new legislation against gun violence with installations like #POSTS INTO LETTERS or WALLS OF DEMAND. Reservations to experience the Change the Ref lobby exhibition are available at woollymammoth.net PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE GUAC runs a limited engagement from January 25 – February 16. The run will also feature a special performance falling on the anniversary of the Parkland shooting on February 14th, 2025. The typical performance week includes Tuesday – Sunday performances, with weeknights at 8:00 PM, Saturdays at 3:00 PM and 8:00 PM, and Sundays at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM. View the full performance schedule at www.woollymammoth.net. The run time is 90 minutes, no intermission. ACCESS PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE ASL Interpreted Performance: Saturday, February 8th, 8pm Open Captions Performance: Tuesday, February 4th, 8pm Audio Described Performance: Tuesday, February 11th, 8pm Masks Required Performance: Thursday, February 13th, 8pm TICKET INFORMATION Tickets start at $30 and are available at woollymammoth.net, by phone at (202) 393-3939, and via email at [email protected]. Upgrade your seats to $60 and 50% of ticket sales benefit Change the Ref. Because this show offers a fixed-rate with optional donations to Change the Ref, Woolly Mammoth will not host its usual Pay-What-You-Will (PWYW) performance for this particular run. Manuel Oliver in ‘GUAC.’ Photo courtesy of Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. ABOUT MANUEL OLIVER Manuel Oliver is a prominent gun control activist and artist. He gained widespread recognition after the tragic death of his son, Joaquin Oliver, who was one of the 17 victims of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on February 14, 2018. Following the tragedy, Manuel and his wife, Patricia Padauy-Oliver, co-founded Change the Ref, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness about gun violence and advocating for stricter gun control laws in the United States. Manuel uses his skills as an artist and his passion for activism to create powerful public art installations, performances, and campaigns that highlight the urgent need for change in gun legislation. His work often features tributes to his son and others lost to gun violence, aiming to engage communities and challenge lawmakers to act. Known for his emotionally charged and direct approach, Manuel has participated in protests, spoken at numerous events, and collaborated with other advocacy groups to push for reform. His activism has inspired many to join the fight against gun violence while keeping Joaquin’s memory alive. ABOUT WOOLLY MAMMOTH THEATRE COMPANY The Tony Award-winning Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company creates theater that highlights the stunning, challenging, and tremendous complexity of our world. For over 40 years, Woolly has maintained a high standard of artistic rigor while simultaneously daring to take risks, innovate, and push beyond perceived boundaries. One of the few remaining theaters in the country to maintain a company of artists, Woolly serves an essential research and development role within the American theater. Plays premiered at Woolly have gone on to productions at hundreds of theaters all over the world and have had lasting impacts on the field. Currently co-led by Artistic Director Maria Manuela Goyanes and Managing Director Kimberly E. Douglas, Woolly is located in Washington, DC, equidistant from the Capitol and the White House. This unique location influences Woolly’s investment in actively working towards an equitable, participatory, and creative democracy. Woolly Mammoth stands upon occupied, unceded territory: the ancestral homeland of the Nacotchtank whose descendants belong to the Piscataway peoples. Furthermore, the foundation of this city, and most of the original buildings in Washington, DC, were funded by the sale of enslaved people of African descent and built by their hands. ABOUT CHANGE THE REF Change The Ref (CTR), was formed to empower our future leaders. CTR gives the kids of today the tools they need to be empowered to make changes to critical issues that affect our nation, through education, conversation, and activism. It uses urban art and nonviolent creative confrontation to expose the disastrous effects of the mass shooting pandemic. It also brings focus to the NRA’s corrupt maneuvers to buy lawmakers, while forcing solutions which are essential to healing mass shooting victims’ families’ lifelong grief. Change The Ref’s ultimate goal is to give the young generation of survivors and victims a disrupting voice to help lead the way to change – a more peaceful future. Founded in the memory of their son Joaquin who was one of the 17 victims, Manuel and Patricia Oliver are committed to making sure that their son’s life and the lives of the other 16 victims are never forgotten and that real change happens to prevent future tragedies like this from happening ever again. ABOUT THE PUBLIC THEATER Conceived over 60 years ago as one of the nation’s first nonprofit theaters, The Public has long operated on the principles that theater is an essential cultural force and that art and culture belong to everyone. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive  Director Patrick Willingham, The Public’s wide breadth of programming includes an annual season of new work at its landmark home at Astor Place, Free Shakespeare in the Park at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park, the Mobile Unit touring throughout New York City’s five boroughs, Public Lab, Public Works, Public Shakespeare Initiative, and Joe’s Pub. Since premiering HAIR in 1967, The Public continues to create the canon of American Theater and is currently represented on Broadway by the Tony Award-winning musicals Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Suffs by Shaina Taub, and Hell’s Kitchen by Alicia Keys and Kristoffer Diaz. Their programs and productions can also be seen regionally across the country and around the world. The Public has received 64 Tony Awards, 194 Obie Awards, 62 Drama Desk Awards, 61 Lortel Awards, 36 Outer Critic Circle Awards, 13 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Awards, 70 AUDELCO Awards, 6 Antonyo Awards, and 6 Pulitzer Prizes. SEE ALSO: ‘GUAC’ at the Logan Festival of Solo Performance at 1st Stage (review by Megan Kempton, July 23, 2024)