Panther in the Sky: The Impact of Gun Violence in our Communities, and its Intersection with Mental Health and Disabilities
Introduction
The University of Illinois Chicago’s (UIC) Department of Disability and Human Development (DHD) in partnership with other UIC units and community, will host a two-day event that will feature conversations and a theater play about gun violence and its effects on the community, and its intersection with mental health and disability. On April 13 from 2–4 p.m., representatives from advocacy and service provider organizations, researchers, and survivors will be sharing insights and perspectives on gun violence and its impact on communities.
Panelists include Alexander Garcia, Tim Pagani, and Stephanie Santana from Access Living; Nana Ahmed, founder of Agents of Hope, Jonas Hart Ginsburg, filmmaker, from Digital Tapestries Screening, Artinese Myrick from Live Free Illinois, Hibiki Sakai and Georgia Tankard from CORNERS Northwestern University, Ashley Taylor from Striving Together Elevating Perspectives, and Jamia Taylor, CIRCA Pintig actor. Audience anchor speakers include Randy Kim, podcaster, and Radhika Sharma from Apna Ghar and on-campus mental health supports. The panel will be moderated by Jae Jin Pak from Chicagoland Disabled People of Color Coalition (DPOCC) and Litany Esguerra from CORNERS Northwestern University.
On April 14, CIRCA Pintig Theatre will perform Lani T. Montreal’s Panther in the Sky during two shows with talk-backs, from 2–4 p.m. and 6–8 p.m. All events will take place at the UIC Richard J. Daley Library.
A finalist for Chicago Reader’s Best New Play of 2024, Panther in the Sky tells the story of three mothers from working-class neighborhoods who lost their sons to gun violence. Their mourning becomes metaphoric and metaphysical as their sons join the grieving mothers onstage as spectral onlookers from the afterlife.
The play premiered at the Chicago Danztheatre in May 2024 to sold-out houses. Theatre critic Wesley David notes, “With exquisite sensitivity and profound insight, Montreal crafts each character with depth and authenticity, allowing their voices to resonate with universal truths while honoring the specificity of their individual experiences.”
In its initial run, the work was lauded for both its ambition and resonance. Tristan Bruns of New City Stage praised the fusion of music and narrative to traverse intimate grief and social urgency: “A recurring eulogy somberly sung by the mothers is an appropriate dirge that sticks in the memory after the show is over.”
Bruns also underscored the work’s civic import: Panther in the Sky shines a light on the debilitating effects of gun violence on families and communities. By renewing this production, this two-part program aims to amplify underheard voices, deepen community connection, and activate art as a site of healing and advocacy.
In a time when guns continue to take young lives in America, Panther in the Sky remains an urgent theatrical expression as well as “a testament to the power of empathy, compassion, and solidarity in the face of unspeakable tragedy,” added David in his Buzz Stage Center review. This tour performance is directed by Jonathan Riley, who also plays one of the victims. The cast includes Gaby Muralles‑Ball, Aaron Ortega, Johnathan Riley, Kyle Tampengco, Jamia Amira Taylor, and Nina Mae Vidal, with stage management and technical direction by Lo Coffman.
This event offers an opportunity to reflect on gun violence, the effects on victims, families, and communities, and to learn about supports available. Tickets are free and open to the public. Seats are limited.
Please obtain tickets at: go.uic.edu/PantherintheSky.
The event is a collaboration of UIC and community partners including; Bodies of Work, Center for Food Equity in Medicine, Center for Immigrant Resources and Community Arts (CIRCA) Pintig, Chicagoland Disabled People of Color Coalition (DPOCC), Northwestern’s Center for Neighborhood Engaged Research & Science (CORNERS), UIC Career Opportunities and Leadership Initiative, UIC, Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy, UIC Institute on Disability and Human Development, UIC Department of Disability and Human Development, UIC Disability Cultural Center, UIC Undergraduate Rehabilitation Sciences Program, UIC Richard J Daley Library, Wellness through Asian American Narratives and Theater, and UIC student organizations DHD Student Club, and Rehabilitation Sciences Student Club.
For more information, please contact Ginger Leopoldo (ginger@circapintig.org) and Professor Rooshey Hasnain (roosheyh@uic.edu).