In collaboration with the Fort Lewis College Theatre Department, the Community Concert Hall presents the compelling one-man drama “Dodging Bullets,” Saturday, September 11, at 7:30pm. The show, featuring actor David Barker, will be staged at the Mainstage Theatre on the Fort Lewis College campus.
Barker, who plays 10 different roles on a nearly empty stage, takes audiences through his interior and exterior life and circumstances that, in 2004, led up to one indelible moment.
Barker is a professor at the School of Theatre and Film at Arizona State University, Tempe.
“In the summer of 2004 I began a sabbatical with the intention of developing a new solo show; a personal, soul-searching exploration marking the milestone of turning 50. Nothing happened until… on July 6, 2004, at 12:15pm in an upscale Boston suburb, my brother-in-law, a successful brain surgeon, tried to kill my sister and me as my 16-year-old niece watched.
"‘Dodging Bullets’ is the story.”
Voted the Best of 2009 by the Phoenix New Times, “Dodging Bullets” follows three story lines: “Dr. Jack’s” (Barker’s brother-in-law) attack on his wife and Barker; Barker’s father’s emergency surgery and declining health; and Barker’s mother’s dementia. Dr. Jack had been abusing his wife for many years, and his wife had finally moved out. On the fateful day of the attack, Barker accompanied his sister and niece on a stop at the sister’s home to pick up his niece’s asthma medication. The drama that ensues is a profound example of how fact is often stranger — or more shocking — than fiction can ever be.
“Dodging Bullets,” writes Emmy award-winning director Michael Switzer, “is theatre as it should be: challenging and compelling.”
 Barker is a professional mime, a fight choreographer, trained classical actor as well as a teacher of stage movement. He’s brought to the stage a drama that is both powerful and entertaining, and challenges his audiences to understand what is most important in life. As part of his visit to Durango, Barker will also be conducting an acting workshop for Fort Lewis theatre students earlier in the day on Sept. 11.
Patrons are advised, this production does include mature themes and may not be appropriate for all audiences.
Tickets for “Dodging Bullets” are $18 and available on the web at www.durangoconcerts.com or by calling 970.247.7657, or visit the ticket office at 7th and Main Ave. in Downtown Durango. Curtain is 7:30 p.m.
The Community Concert Hall is located in the arts complex of Fort Lewis College. It operates through a partnership with the college, a state-supported, independent institution of higher education, as well as the city of Durango, and with financial and in-kind contributions from generous members of the community. |