The Secretary
- Kyle John Schmidt
- Christy Montour-Larson
- January 11 - February 22, 2020
- January 9-10
- Buy Now
Guns don't kill people. People kill people.
Women need to protect themselves – and Ruby wants to empower them to do so. With semi-automatic weapons. This explosive black comedy takes aim at the trope “guns don’t kill people, people kill people” with an all-female cast. Ruby’s gun manufacturing business fuels this small town’s economy, so when a local high school secretary takes down a student shooter with six bullets, Ruby honors her by naming her newest firearm ‘The Secretary’ and sales boom. But soon enough, the secretary and her namesake come under scrutiny as bullets and the truth ricochet through the community.
Dates & Times
| Date | Time | Additional Information |
Cast
Production Team
Sponsors
Season Sponsors
Diana and Mike Kinsey
The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust
Susan Tucker, Season Patron
Platinum
Laura Cowperthwaite and LiveWork Denver
Gold
Richard and Joanne Akeroyd
Les Crispelle and Glenn Tiedt
Lynne and Jon Montague-Clouse
Silver
Lee Ann Huntington and Neil Toribara
Go Deeper: The Secretary
Topics: Gun Rights, Gun Regulation, Gun Violence, Domestic Violence, Black Comedy
A curated collection of resources about the play The Secretary by Kyle John Schmidt and about gun issues. The Curious team developed these resources in conjunction with local allies and advocates on the front lines of social change. Our partners for this play include Moms Demand Action and ACLU of Colorado.
To suggest additions, provide feedback, or get involved in our social justice efforts, please contact Community Engagement Organizer Jeannene Bragg at jeannene@curioustheatre.org.
The Secretary playbill: Click here for PDF.
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Action Steps you can take right now:
While there is no easy solution to our gun violence epidemic, there are steps forward. If you are inspired to
engage on this issue, here are some suggestions.
Call your Colorado state legislator as new legislation is introduced this session around safe gun storage and
other measures. Find your local legislators here: leg.colorado.gov/find-my-legislator
Research candidates for federal, state, and local office - then vote according to your values!
Join a group that aligns with your views for updates and information:
• Moms Demand Action: text JOIN to 644-33
• Colorado Gun Owners for Safety: giffords.org/cogunowners/
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Recommended Resources from The Denver Public Library Team:
The Denver Public Library recommends these library resources to enhance your theatre experience.
READ
Vigilance by Robert Jackson Bennett (2019)
Sometimes it seems like only an easily-pierced veil separates this dystopian novella from our reality. Set in 2030’s America, where gun violence and mass shootings are the norm, and most everyone is armed and ready in hopes of not being the next victim bleeding out at work, on the subway, at church, or wherever the bullets might find them. Add to this America’s favorite game show, Vigilance, where armed killers are outfitted to carry out mass shootings for cash and infamy. Plus there’s the audience participation component: prizes for any “good-guy” vigilante who can shoot the shooter. This novella contains some poetic justice, but is basically about being the only sane woman in a trigger-happy asylum. Mood.
WATCH
Gunned Down:The Power of the NRA (2015), dir. Michael Kirk
Secretary begins with the quote “guns don’t kill people, people kill people” that is commonly associated with the National Rifle Association (NRA). Find out more about the NRA in this PBS documentary. Decades ago, the NRA was an organization focused on teaching gun safety. Due to a split in the group, the NRA’s mission changed to focus on political influence fighting against gun control laws. The documentary traces that history from its benign beginnings, through the split in the group, to mass shootings and the successful pushback against comprehensive gun control laws.
LISTEN
A Mother’s Reckoning: Living in the Aftermath of Tragedy by Sue Klebold (2016), Book on CD
Written and read by the mother of Dylan Klebold, one of the Columbine shooters, A Mother’s Reckoning is an honest excavation of an upbringing. Like Ruby, Sue Klebold grapples with the societal and emotional aftermath of gun violence -- and the all-too-personal element of being party to said violence. Her story is as riveting as it is heartbreaking, offering a sense of renewed resolve and reason for being, as well as a plea for better “brain health” awareness, from an unfathomable well of grief and shame. In a world in which shooters are either demonized or reified, Klebold submits a portrait of her son and her family as the next-door neighbors she supposed them to be.
DOWNLOAD
Another Day in the Death of America by Gary Younge (2016), eBook
Veteran Guardian staff journalist Gary Younge takes a close-up look at every gun death in America that took place on the randomly chosen date of November 23, 2013. Ten people died by the gun on this day, eight of the slain were African-American and all were under 20 years old. These tragic stories include two children shot by accident by people they knew, two people killed randomly by stray bullets, and others senselessly gunned down in what police described as “gang-related killings.” Younge’s book is less of a partisan polemic on gun control and more of a compassionate study in heartbreak and the fate of a culture seemingly powerless to solve the problem of gun violence.
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More Resources
Statistics and Data
Rolling Stone: Gun Violence Costs the U.S. Economy Over $200 Billion Annually
Gender and Guns
CBS NEWS: Female gun ownership and the rise of fashionable "carrywear"
Poling Shows a Voter's Gender can be a Factor in their Views on Gun Control
In the Local News
CPR news: Colorado Dems Plan to Pursue a Variety of Gun Laws in 2020
Denver Post: Colorado's new red-flag law invoked
What is the runtime of this show?
The Secretary runs approximately 1 hour, 45 minutes.
Is there an intermission?
There is no intermission.
Are there any advisories I should know about?
There are no specific advisories for The Secretary. Curious offers an advisory about any stage effect of potential concern to patrons’ health. We typically don’t offer advisories about subject matter, as sensitivities vary from person to person. If you have any concerns about content or language, please contact the box office.
Can I bring my kids?
We require that audience members find alternative activities for children under 6 years of age. In addition, our material may not be appropriate for young people under 14 years of age. We will gladly discuss subject matter with parents or guardians before the performance in order to make an informed decision for you and your child. Before purchasing tickets, please email or call our Box Office at 303.623.0524.
Where can I park?
Curious is pleased to offer various options for complimentary parking on performance days: the Denver Community Credit Union parking lot directly across the street; the lot directly adjacent to our theatre; on-street parking along Acoma. Please make sure to pick up a parking permit from our Box Office if you wish to park in either lot. Note that these lots are only available for the two hours before a performance and one hour following; Curious does not own either lot and the owners will tow vehicles.
Is Curious wheelchair accessible?
Yes. However, due to the age of our building (1890s!), there are a few quirks to our accessibility. When buying tickets, know that Rows F & G are fully wheelchair accessible and all seats are removable. All seats on the orchestra level of the theatre are accessible to those with mobility concerns, however, the other rows of the orchestra do involve a small step up and the seats are fixed. The balcony of Curious is only accessible by stairs. Know that the bar for Curious is located in the balcony; however, Curious staff are eager to assist you by serving you from your seat should you have mobility concerns that prevent you from stairs.
The front entry of Curious is stairs-only, so those with mobility concerns or in a wheelchair may enter the building through the double red doors on the south side of the building (where you will also find accessible parking spaces) beginning 30 minutes before the show. Please let the ushers or staff know that you have arrived so we may greet you if we miss you slipping in.
May I eat/drink in the theatre?
You bet! Our bar is on the balcony level and carries wine, beer, and bourbon in addition to treats, chips, coffee, water, and soft drinks. All are permitted in your seats, although we ask that you unwrap any candy before the show begins.
Where do I pick up my tickets?
If you have selected Will Call for your tickets, they will be available at the Box Office one hour prior to the show. If you selected Print-at-Home, simply print out the PDF that was emailed to you or show that attachment on your phone to the ushers when you arrive, no need to see the box office.
Can I change my tickets to another performance?
Usually, yes. If you know your dates have changed, do contact us as soon as possible to ensure comparable seats are available for your new date. Sometimes our shows do sell out and occasionally an entire run will sell out. So it is always best to call early with a change.
What if I arrive late?
Patrons who arrive late will be seated at the discretion of the House Manager, and may not be seated in their assigned seats until intermission.
What is the temperature in the theatre?
Please note that our boiler has been replaced and our heat is working great!
While we make every attempt to ensure our patrons and performers are comfortable in our space, Curious is in a church built in the 1890s; we have no A/C or central air (although we do have two swamp coolers and radiant heat). Temperature control can be a challenge in the extreme cold or extreme heat of Colorado. We encourage you to wear layers to ensure your comfort.
Do you offer group discounts?
Yes! Call the box office to get a quote for the performance you would like to attend. Discounts vary by performance. As a general rule, bigger discounts are given for Thursday/Friday evening performances early in the run of a show.
How can I become a volunteer?
Call or email the box office for information on joining our volunteer corps.
Can I get the program ahead of time?
Yes. About one week before the show opens, you can find our full program in the Go Deeper section.
In Media
- REVIEW: The Secretary Is Right on Target
Schmidt obviously understands that an issue as vexed, complex and crucial as this has many more than two sides. While illustrating the danger posed by the ubiquity of guns, the script doesn’t demonize gun owners or manufacturer Ruby. ...Any way you cut it, The Secretary makes a strong statement about our crazed gun culture and the desperate need for a thoughtful solution.
- REVIEW: Denver Theater Perspectives
Led by an extremely brilliant all-female cast, this isn’t just a play about guns, but the compassion that women have for one another, despite not always agreeing on everything. Folks; I laughed, shed a few tears, audibly gasped a few expletives and was literally on the edge of my seat by the end of it.
- REVIEW: The Secretary is Locked and Loaded
The direction by award-winning creative Christy Montour-Larson is unparalleled as she ushers the story and actors through the quick-paced, dialogue-heavy piece with ease. From beginning to end, the use of the space and the tension that grew became almost unbearable, as the audience wanted to shout at the sheer absurdity of the situation.
- REVIEW: When the Next Gun Goes Off
Without deploying many of the familiar pro and con arguments around guns, The Secretary is a funny, chilling reminder (not that we needed one) of what a screwed-up society we live in.
- REVIEW: Colorado Drama
[Playwright Kyle] Schmidt manages to achieve in this play what few playwrights (Shake-speare, Shaw, Miller ... ) are able to do: to discuss political and social issues without creating straw men for their personal beliefs and opinions. He does this in a number of clever ways, beginning with his choice to have a diverse personae of women wrestle with the issues, which moves the questions about men, testosterone, and adrenaline, to the periphery, and focuses on the issue of guns, in and of themselves.
- REVIEW: On Denver
I loved the characters in this play. I found them totally relatable, very much in the vein the friends and family of my rural upbringing. The women working as secretaries in their fifties, with “disabled” husbands who maybe aren’t disabled but just can’t find work. The woman who leaves her office with both a loaded weapon and a purse full of mints and Kleenex. I particularly enjoyed Emma Messenger and Kathleen M. Brady’s performances and their chemistry together.
- REVIEW: Guns take center stage in all-female play “The Secretary”
“The Secretary” has a killer cast, as well as a savvy director in Christy Montour-Larson... “The Secretary” is the playwright’s thoughtful reckoning with guns and the people who make them, tote them, shoot them.
- In the Spotlife: Kathleen M. Brady
What’s it like working in an all-female ensemble that includes your old friend Leslie O’Carroll and these other strong women? Fabulous! Fabulous, lovely, wonderful, grateful. I am happy as hell. And also a female director – the fabulous Christy Montour-Larson. And also a female Stage Manager – the fabulous Phoebe Sacks. Every single human being here at Curious is trying to help you to be your best. They make it easy for you to really work. I can’t think of anything else an artist would want. It’s the dream. It’s heaven!