American Repertory Theater delays opening of 'Paradigm Bomb" after mass shooting

Scheduled to premiere May 19, the play was written by ART Executive and Artistic Director Matthew LaChiusa after the events on Jan. 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol as a way to explore and open discussions on domestic terrorism and gun violence. But after learning of the shooting on Saturday, LaChiusa met with the cast, crew and board members to discuss what to do. He said delaying the play was "an easy decision."

"It’s a very relevant subject and we should talk about the subject absolutely,” LaChiusa said, but now wasn't the right time. “We are shaken as a community. We need to heal.”

In "The Paradigm Bomb," LaChiusa looks at the "why" behind these events.

“Why do people feel the need to do this? We understand the actions, but why did they commit the actions?" he asks. "We know the rhetoric, but how did these people get so radicalized that they are willing to do these actions? You think about Timothy McVeigh and Ted Kaczynski – what drove them to this point? What is the flashpoint of radicalization that put them in this position?”

The play fits in with the theater's mission to "create a catalyst for community dialogue, not only on a grassroots level, but a national level,” he said. "But I don't know if people are ready for the conversation now."

"The Paradigm Bomb" will now premiere in September with the same cast, director and sets. By then, LaChiusa said he hopes people will be ready for the discussion.

"Theater makes us laugh, makes us cry and react to the world around us," LaChiusa said. "Sometimes we do need theater to act as a flashpoint for the hard conversation we must have."