Bang Bang

Book excerpt: "I don't need to know how it goes--you wanted it to be dramatic, and white cops shooting Black kids is so common that it's BORING, and you didn't want a boring play, right?" Lila, a Black cop, has been on leave from the police force ever since she shot an unarmed Black man. She's moved back in with her mother, Karen, and is drinking beer for breakfast. So when Tim, a white playwright, shows up at her door to casually inform her that his play inspired by her experience is being adapted into a movie, Lila's trauma is dragged out for speculation once again. The star of the film, his body guard, and Karen are dragged into the fight, leading to an epic metatheatrical standoff in a living room play about a living room play about gun violence, police, art, and appropriation. This dark, fast-paced comedy by the author of Punch Up and Mustard traces the responsibility we have as artists in storytelling and the impact of what it means to be inspired by true events.