Stage Bits, Soundbites, Scrollbait:
Media Narratives of Gun Violence
Dan Froot and Pamela Mejia
Date: Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Time: 12:00 - 1:30 PM
Location: Edna Anderson-Taylor Communication Institute, LNCO 2910
About the Talk:
How do various forms of media shape what we think about gun violence and what gets left out of the story? This panel brings together theater artist Dan Froot (Dan Froot & Company) and media researcher Pamela Mejia (Berkeley Media Studies Group) for a candid conversation about how gun violence is represented across theater, news, and entertainment. Open to all University of Utah students, this panel explores how storytelling can influence public dialogue, policy, and social change.
about the speakers
Dan Froot
Dan Froot's music/dance/theater works have appeared at the London ICA, Harare International Festival (Zimbabwe), Festival de Danca de Londrina (Brazil), Joyce Theater & Symphony Space (NYC), Edinburgh Fringe, and many other places. His work delves into the emotional entanglements of hunger, plastics pollution, and the gun debate. Awards include a Bessie (NY Dance & Performance Award), a City of Los Angeles Artist Fellowship, a Boliasco Foundation Fellowship, and a playwriting fellowship from the Foundation for Jewish Culture. Dan Froot & Company's "Arms Around America" will be presented by UtahPresents at the University of Utah, April 4-7th, 2026.
Pamela Mejia
Pamela Mejia is Director of Research and Associate Program Director at Berkley Media Studies Group (BMSG), a nonprofit focused on narrative change, strategic communication support, and media advocacy training. There, for 15 years, she has led narrative research about a range of public health and social justice issues, including many studies on narratives about efforts to reduce injury and death from firearms. Pamela holds a Master of Science in Molecular and Biochemical Nutrition, and a Master of Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley.
Date: Tuesday, October 21, 2025
Time: 12:00 - 1:00 PM
Location: Edna Anderson-Taylor Communication Institute, LNCO 2910
