Father of Florida Mass Shooting Victim Campaigns for End to Gun Violence in One-Man Play

This weekend would have marked the 24th birthday of Joaquin Oliver. But in 2018, Joaquin was killed in the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

It’s a painful anniversary that his father, Manuel Oliver, won’t forget. And he’s bound to make sure others won’t forget and won’t ignore. 

Manuel Oliver turned the grief from his personal tragedy into a public plea for change in a play that will be staged this weekend in San Diego.

Oliver will perform the “GUAC – The One-Man Show” at UC San Diego and in Point Loma this Friday and Saturday.

“This is my real life,” said Oliver. “This is my story.”

The shooting and loss of his son, nicknamed Guac, unmoored Oliver, leaving him unsure what to do with his life.

“You don’t even know what you’re looking for,” he recalled.

He and his wife, Patricia, decided to create a non-profit advocacy group, Change the Ref, to empower young leaders to end American gun violence. 

Oliver wanted to fight gun violence but in untraditional way. Although his efforts have been featured in documentaries, he thought about using the theater to get his message across.

“I can speak for 10 minutes, five minutes, and we could probably get people’s attention or not,” he said. “So, if we turn that, that attention, into a theater play, inside a venue with 300 people paying total attention, for more than an hour, imagine how that exponentially brings whatever we need to say to another level.”

Although the play tackles a heavy subject, Oliver said there is inspiration in it.

“At the end of the show, you will feel empowered,” Oliver said.

The play is not about what he called “those terrible two minutes.” It is about celebrating Joaquin’s 17 years of life.

“This is something that I do to hang out with my son,” he said.

One of the subtexts of the play is also about an immigrant family’s sacrifice. Oliver and his family are from Venezuela but moved to the U.S. for a better future.

“And then that American dream became an American nightmare,” he said. “It’s such an irony that in looking for a safer and better future for my son, now I’m fighting for a safe and better future for other kids because mine was shot.”

The play has been on a national tour and Oliver has big plans for it.

“This is going to be on Broadway,” he said. “Not because I want to be on Broadway. Because it needs to be on Broadway. It needs to reach as much people as possible.”

The play is being produced in partnership with San Diegans for Gun Violence Prevention and Change the Ref. It is performing twice this weekend:

• Aug. 2, 7 p.m. at Mandeville Auditorium, 500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA
• Aug. 3, 2 p.m. at Westminster Theater at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 3598 Talbot St. in Pt. Loma, San Diego, CA

Information and ticket sales can be found online at at sd4gvp.org or enoughplays.com/guac.