GUAC

On February 14, 2018, 17-year-old Joaquín “Guac” Oliver was killed in the Parkland school shooting. To those who loved him, however, Joaquín was never defined by the violence that ended his life. He was a son, a writer, an athlete, a music lover, and a teenager whose humor, curiosity, and joy continue to shape the people who knew him best.

A Family's Response

In the months that followed, Manuel Oliver and Patricia Padauy-Oliver founded Change the Ref, transforming unimaginable grief into one of the country's most creative movements against gun violence. Patricia became a leading advocate and organizer, while Manuel brought his experience as an artist and creative director to campaigns that have challenged elected officials, reimagined public spaces, and invited new audiences into the conversation.

Patricia has helped shape that work throughout, as Joaquín's mother, co-founder of Change the Ref, Executive Producer of GUAC, and Manuel's artistic partner. Together, they have insisted that Joaquín's story be remembered not only for how it ended, but for how fully it was lived.

A Story Becomes Theatre

Theatre offered something activism alone could not: the opportunity to spend time with Joaquín himself.

First developed as GUAC: My Son My Hero with director and co-writer James Clements, the work evolved through collaborations with director Michael Cotey, the Joaquín Oliver Artistic Producer of ENOUGH! Plays to End Gun Violence. Following its premiere, GUAC received Best Production at the United Solo Festival before continuing its artistic journey through productions at The Public Theater, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, and Center Theatre Group's Kirk Douglas Theatre.

Throughout its evolution, the work has remained rooted in the same purpose: celebrating Joaquín's life while challenging audiences to imagine a future free from gun violence.

Written and performed by Manuel, GUAC is at once deeply personal and strikingly theatrical. Through stories of family life, music, basketball, humor, and heartbreak, he invites audiences to know Joaquín not as a headline, but as the extraordinary young man he was.

Why We Begin with GUAC

As The People's Theatre opens its permanent home, we wanted our inaugural production to embody the values on which this organization was built.

GUAC is a story about family, the transformative power of art, and the belief that personal stories can strengthen communities. It reminds us that theatre is not an escape from the world around us. It is one of the ways we understand it together.

This production at The People's Theatre marks the first bilingual staging of GUAC, allowing Manuel to move naturally between English and Spanish while sharing Joaquín's story with audiences who navigate those same languages every day.

Throughout the run, audiences will also encounter an accompanying exhibition from Change the Ref, extending the conversation beyond the stage through visual art and installation.

As we welcome the first students into The People's Theatre Academy, GUAC offers a powerful example of the artistry we hope to nurture: work that begins with something deeply personal and, through the shared experience of theatre, becomes something shared.