Fishtank’s Gunplay revival fires blanks

When the national dialogue on guns is as polite as a dumpster fire, the bar for critical discourse sits perilously low. Gunplay, a variety show of topical sketches by local playwright Frank Higgins, stoops to the occasion.

The Fishtank Performance Studio’s polished production — staged in the upstairs Aquarium space — lends clarity and style to Higgins’ two-act script. But I left the play wishing he had supplied his own.

Gunplay first opened in 1993 as a response to a shooting on the University of Iowa campus. Higgins has made some significant updates since — campus carry and Sandy Hook demanded it — but many of the scenes still feel dated, their dramatic arcs well trodden.

A bigger problem is that the sketches often feel aimless. “Galileo at the Shooting Range” seems connected only superficially to guns or Galileo. Instead, the sketch, structured as a standup routine, serves as a confusing vehicle for a joke about young women aching to fuck their professors.

“Code Red” comes off similarly disorganized, despite strong performances from actors Meredith Wolfe, Brad Shaw and Joseph Fournier. The sketch opens with a debate between two schoolteachers and an administrator about how to crack down on gun violence. But the debate is quickly holstered in favor of an argument about whether to ban ball caps, shaved heads or dreadlocks. The connection between hairstyles and guns never emerges; the sketch does, however, allow Higgins to knock racists down a few pegs.

At its worst, that confusion can make some sketches seem insultingly obtuse. In “The Way It Is,” Higgins attempts to parallel the experiences of a white militia member and a black gang member, but he probes the connection insufficiently, eliding their wildly different contexts.

Don’t fault directors Margaret Shelby and Ethan Zogg, who have given the script a handsome treatment with minimal resources. Shelby, who directs the play’s first act, defines crisp playing areas in a creative staging that makes the most of the intimate space and in-the-round seating. Zogg guides his actors effortlessly through the second act’s steep tonal shifts.

Lighting designers Joshua Austin and Micah Thompson play to both directors’ strengths, isolating playing areas and morphing moods with the press of the “Go” button. And sound designer Maddie Row provides ample pathos with a barrage of gunfire.

The ensemble cast races gamely through the show. There’s no weak link, here, but Shaw, Wolfe and Laura Jacobs make especially strong contributions.

And to Higgins’ credit, a few sketches are right on target. “Killer,” a splintered scene about two women learning to defend themselves, strikes cleanly, its focus razor-sharp. “The Wild West” upsets cultural tropes about the American frontier to effectively challenge proponents of gun control. And “Moonglow” provides a bittersweet break from cynical gags (and an excellent vehicle for Rasheedat “Ras” Badejo).

Gunplay positions itself neutrally in the gun debate. Both pro-gun and anti-gun zealots come into Higgins’ sights. But in his superficial attempts to dress down both sides, his play ends up challenging neither.