Natural Shocks in the Storm of Gun Violence 

On the evening of the preview performance of Natural Shocks by Laura Gunderson, the lights went up on the small stage at Exit Theatre revealing semi-haphazardly strewn household miscellany — a catch-all room with a door to one side. Howling wind let me know there was a fierce storm happening outside. A woman entered through the door and within moments looked me straight in the eyes and spoke directly to me and the rest of the audience. There was no fourth wall. The audience was not allowed to separate itself from the play. For the next hour, the woman told her story directly to us, not with abstract Shakespearean monologuing, but in an immediate, intimate way. Natural Shocks is a 60-minute, one-woman tour-de-force that tells the story of a complex, flawed and funny woman whose life is profoundly impacted by the reality of guns in America.

The woman is Angela, played by Ruthi Engelke, who skillfully holds the audience in this intimacy the entirety of the play. I love the way she creates a relationship with us, as if somehow we are important to the unfolding plot. Like a friend you hadn't seen in decades was catching you up with her life. I wanted to cheer or scold her as she shared triumphs and tragedies. She is a roundabout storyteller, and sometimes would catch herself out in little white lies. I found her to be an interesting person with interesting philosophies and relatable experiences. As the sounds of the storm ebb and flow, Angela curtails her reminiscence. We are all reminded that something terrible and frightening is happening as she speaks to us. She is finally honest with us when the storm rages most. By then, we understand how hard won that honesty is.

There are layers to this one-woman play. Under the themes of violence are questions of how people chose to live, what is the meaning of risk, how do we reconcile hurtful familial relationships, what makes a good joke and more. Likely there will be different layers for different people.

The audience remains physically safe throughout the play and it's purely verbal and emotional interaction. But the intimate connection with a sometimes funny, always relatable character is the vehicle for deadly serious themes of domestic abuse and gun violence. Such heavy topics are often delivered abstractly or melodramatically, keeping the audience safe. By removing the fourth wall with her writing, Gunderson removes the safety net for the audience. Engelke's acting, supported by Todd Hoberecht's direction, draws you in and makes you nearly as vulnerable as the protagonist. It's important to be open to the vulnerability so that as Angela tells you the terrible things that happen to her, you understand they happen to a person who is right in front of you.

All aspects of the production support the connection between heroine and audience. The set, put together by Hoberecht, Engelke and Finn Ferguson, gives a sense of mild disorder and informality. Engelke designed her own perfectly suited costume and makeup. Tammy Rae Scott designed a soundscape that keeps the story rooted in the moment. The minimal lighting designed by Jaiden Clark serves the mood well.

When you learn about domestic abuse and gun violence through news and other media, you are safe behind the barrier of othering — those things happen elsewhere to other people. Natural Shocks does not spare you in that way. The immediacy of the experience brings the message closer with a greater impact.

Performances of the Exit Theatre's production of Natural Shocks are at 8 p.m. Oct. 20 and 21, 3 p.m. Oct. 22 and 29, and 5 p.m. Oct. 28. Visit theexit.org or call (415) 673-3847.

Doranna Benker Gilkey (she/her) is a Humboldt local who hopes you never need this number, but if you do, you can reach Humboldt Domestic Violence Services 24-hour Crisis and Support Line at (707) 443-6042. Organizations doing something about gun violence: Everytown for Gun Safety, Sandy Hook Promise, Giffords and many more.