Jake Mace
Gregory Ramos is the Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Redlands in California, and also writer-director of upcoming EdFringe show Acts of Kindness. Gregory describes the piece as a docudrama inspired by interviews in El Paso, Texas USA, after a mass shooting that claimed the lives of twenty-three innocent people. We caught up with Gregory to find out more about what inspired him to take this story to the stage.
You can watch Acts of Kindness on August 1st (20:00), 4th (18:00), 5th (12:00), and 6th (18:00) (90mins) at theSpace @ Venue 45. Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
Jake: Hi Gregory – your upcoming Fringe show Acts of Kindness is described as a cautionary tale about gun violence in America. Tell us about why you’ve decided to tell this story now and what’s inspired the show.
Gregory: My family came to the U.S. from Mexico, so I’m very connected to Mexican culture. I’m also very aware of the true history of the U.S. and how the country has at times taken advantage of immigrants and at times vilified them, particularly Mexican immigrants. The U.S. has built industries like agriculture and construction (to name a few) by exploiting immigrant labor, but in recent years, politicians have conceived a narrative that falsely paints immigrants as being responsible for many of the problems facing the U.S. The play Acts of Kindness addresses the issue of immigration, but also the problem of gun violence in America, by focusing on an event in which those two issues came to a climax at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas. Before shooting scores of innocent people, a gunman posted a manifesto stating he was taking care of the “Hispanic problem” by illuminating Mexicans from the U.S. The irony of course is that borders are arbitrary and much of the Southwestern United States was once part of Mexico. Gun violence and immigration are two complex issues that the U.S. has been grappling with for decades, with increasing tension, but with no solutions. As a theatre artist, my response to the pressing issues our historical moment is to create work that will raise awareness and spark discussion. So, I traveled to El Paso, Texas, where I once lived for five years, and began interviewing folks there with the goal of making a theatre piece to tell their stories.
One of the remarkable things about the aftermath of the shooting, was the way the community came together to support, to raise awareness and to attempt to heal. But as one of the characters says in the play, “This is not just a story about El Paso.” No community is safe from gun violence in America. Unlike other countries, who have managed to immediately pass gun safety laws after shootings, the U.S. still has not significantly addressed the issue.
Jake: Tell us about what the audience can expect coming into the show, and what they might not expect about the show.
Gregory: The audience can expect to gain insight into a particular community and the resilience that communities can find when they come together in healing from collective trauma. The audience will also gain insights into the events that have been taking place in the U.S. over the last decade which chart an aggression and violence against Hispanics in the United States. Even as I write these answers, the U.S. immigration authorities under this administration are separating families and deporting individuals without due process. This is part of an ongoing historical trajectory in which people of color are vilified and punished in the U.S., even when the vast majority simply want to experience a safe and just life for themselves and their families.
In terms of what they might not expect – the show deals with pressing complex issues, but there is beauty in the community, culture, and history of El Paso/Mexican culture that might surprise audiences.
Jake: What are you hoping the audience might take away from the experience, if anything?
Gregory: We are living in extremely troubling times. The play doesn’t offer any simple answers, but I would love the audience to come away with a better understanding of our community, and a sense of hope in these difficult times. Believe it or not, the play really attempts to lift us rather than mire us in the conflicts.
Jake: With Edinburgh Fringe 2025 just around the corner, what are you most excited for?
Gregory: We’re very excited to share our stories with an international audience, and we’re excited to see the work of other theatre artists. Many of the excellent actors in the production are university students, and it will be great to experience the festival with them. They are the theatre artists of tomorrow, who I hope will continue making theatre that will address pressing issues and strive to transform hearts and minds in positive and productive ways. All we have is each other, so we have to find ways to work together in creating a more inclusive, responsible, and just world.
Jake: Given the themes of Binge Fringe, if your show was a beverage of any kind (alcoholic, non-alcoholic – be as creative as you like!), what would it be and why?
Gregory: That’s easy. The play is centered in El Paso, Texas (right on the U.S. – Mexico border) so our drink would be a HUGE MARGARITA on the rocks with salt on the rim of the frosty glass!
You can watch Acts of Kindness on August 1st (20:00), 4th (18:00), 5th (12:00), and 6th (18:00) (90mins) at theSpace @ Venue 45. Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.
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