Regional Premiere

Visceral. Powerful. Necessary.

Welcome to the final show in our 25th Anniversary Season! On the Exhale holds a very special place in our history and our hearts. This one-woman play, starring Dee Covington and directed by Chip Walton, highlights the enormous talent and virtuosity of our founders. We are proud to send them off with this astonishing piece; it’s a fitting testament to this very special place and body of work they forged through their labors of love, artistry and ongoing curiosity.
When a senseless act of violence changes her life forever, a liberal college professor finds herself inexplicably drawn to the very weapon used to perpetrate the crime—and to the irresistible feeling of power that comes from holding life and death in her hands. Peering down the barrel of a uniquely American crisis, she begins to suspect that when it comes to gun violence, we’re all part of the problem.

Dates & Times

DateTimeAdditional Information
Cast
  • Dee CovingtonCast Member
    • Production Team
    Sponsors

    Thank you to our Sponsors who make modern, provocative theatre possible!

    Season 26 Sponsors
    Chip Horne & Dr. Jan Kennaugh
    Diana & Mike Kinsey
    Susan & Jeremy Shamos
    Jim & Lori Steinberg
    The Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust

    Gold On the Exhale Sponsors
    Lynne & Jon C. Montague-Clouse
    Ellen & Dale LaGow

    Silver On the Exhale Sponsors
    Rick & Margot Acosta

    Discussion Questions: ON THE EXHALE

    What do you think of the title:  “On the Exhale”.  How does this title increase your experience of the play?

    Throughout the play, the Woman never refers to herself. She never says, “I,” “me,” “my,” or “mine” when telling the story of her actions. Why do you think that is?

    Why do you think Curious Theatre Company chose to produce this play in- the-round?  What do you think of this choice?  How do you think this configuration added to your experience of the play?  Or not?

    Besides the death of her son, what are some of the other reasons that push the Woman into an obsession that comes to dominate every aspect of her existence? In what ways can you relate to her?

    How did you feel the lights, projections and sound added to your experience of the play?

    What does the gun mean to the Woman?  Why do you think she bought it? How do her feelings about guns change during the course of the play?

    What did you think of the ending?  How do you think the Woman is changed at the end?  What do you think the immediate future looks like for her?

    RESOURCES

    The Denver Public Library recommends these library resources to enhance your theater experience.

    READ
    Only Child by Rhiannon Navin
    Only Child focuses on Zach, a first grader who hid with the rest of his class while 17 others, including his brother, were killed. Only Child tackles a weighty topic from a child’s perspective, and explores the range of feelings both Zach and his parents are experiencing. A challenging aspect of this story is that Zach isn’t always sure about how he feels about his brother’s death, and his parents are not always able to help him while they process their own grief.

    WATCH
    We Need to Talk About Kevin, dir. Lynn Ramsay (2012)
    In the play On the Exhale, the protagonist tackles the complexities of traumatic grief in regard to school gun violence. In this intense film, based on a novel by Lionel Shriver, we focus on another protagonist. A mother who is herself grappling with complex feelings about her son and his violent tendencies, which culminate in a horrifying final act. 

    LISTEN
    Wake Up, America by the Parkland Project (2019)
    Student survivors of the Parkland school shooting in Parkland, Florida collaborated to remember and honor the victims of gun violence. Listen carefully because each song has its own message.  

    DOWNLOAD
    Midsummer in Newtown, dir. Lloyd Kramers (2016)
    Lloyd Kramers’ award-winning documentary shows some of the ways the devastated community of Newtown, CT dealt with the tragedy of their school shooting. We follow a production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” produced by and for the children of Newtown as they find a measure of comfort on stage while empowering their creativity.  It’s not so much an attempt to heal the unhealable as a celebration of the endurance of the human spirit, and how art can help enable it. Stream free on Kanopy with your Denver Library card.

    In Media