←Recommendations of We Are The Broken People

I cannot recommend this piece enough. A gut-wrenching look at that most horrific of events, a mass shooting, told through the eyes of both victims and shooter. The first half is telling, as we see the patrons of a nightclub in line, speculating about the others, most likely with no real idea what their hopes, dreams and fears really are. The shooter is there too, the only one who's thoughts center more around himself, which is chilling. In the second half, we learn truths right before the trigger is pulled. It's tragedy on so many different levels.

WE ARE THE BROKEN PEOPLE is a profound, moving and poetic performance piece by Joe Swenson. These broken people line up in a que for a nightclub, their lives already on the ropes for no fault of their own.
Told uniquely in a series of spoken thoughts by other characters, audiences will be drawn into every character, will feel for them and wonder how they were able to become who they are today.
Society needs to address these issues as well as laying down their arms.
Joe has created an incredibly deep message which needs to be told. Excellent.

As I have thought about some of senseless shootings in recent weeks, my mind keeps asking how we might stop the desensitization of murder that we hear or read about. Joe Swenson’s beautifully provocative and eloquent play could well be the answer. We need more backstory, and we need to experience stories like this together. That is the power of theatre and bold playwriting. Bravo and thank you.

Graphic and poetic. This is a piece that needs to be heard. It offers insight through art and a possible window to empathy before a tragic end.

A truly beautifully empowering piece, Joe takes his audience on a tour through the lives of severally wonderfully created characters, each with a unique story to tell. You find yourself wanting to know more about them as the tension builds and the dark elements become more apparent and by the end, you do feel like you've travelled with them. Its a piece that will be experienced, not just seen.

In WE ARE THE BROKEN PEOPLE, Swenson uses deep, rich, and penetrating hues to create a bold, rhythmic, and unapologetic piece of theatre. The blend of poetry and physicality is intoxicating. For those of us who have lived through so many seemingly inexplicable acts of violence, this play will certainly hit a nerve. The playwright here uses the art of performance to peel back some of the very complex layers around this topic, and through detailed characterizations, allows the audience an opportunity to understand. Even just a little. A play bravely reminiscent of works by the amazing Jean-Claude van Itallie.