Mar. 26, 2025 8p
(WGTD)---A depressing yet inspiring play about gun violence in America and its impact on the trauma specialists who deal with it is on stage this weekend at Carthage College.
“Terminal Exhale” is a verbatim-styled production in which Carthage students interviewed nearly a dozen front-line health care workers who’ve been impacted by gun violence. The interviews were then weaved together in a script for a stage reading that at times involves audience interaction.
Speaking on WGTD’s Morning Show, Carthage theater professor Martin McClendon said the show is not anti-gun but rather is pro-gun safety. "The guns are here," McClendon said. "It's kind of like a virus. The virus is here and we have to deal with it."
"I'm hoping that people on both sides of this conversation come and see just what their neighbors and friends in health care have to deal with sometimes on a daily basis in having to patch people up or unfortunately put them in body bags," McClendon said.
He concedes that the show’s subject matter is inherently dark. "But think about the resilience and hope and the amazing strength of these health care workers," McClendon said. "There's so much strength in this play...in the face of this constant barrage of violence."
Tickets and show times for “Terminal Exhale” are here.
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