MILWAUKEE — With gun violence on the minds of many in Milwaukee because of record high homicides, a local documentary theater production is putting the issue on center stage.

The community was invited to a staged reading of the production called “Milwaukee Voices of Gun Violence."

It tells the real-life stories of those affected by gun violence in the Milwaukee area.

Debra Gillispie was sitting in the audience. She said one story about a mother named Vera Evans who lost her son to gun violence hit her hard.

“I went back in time when I heard her story,” Gillispie said. “I felt like I was in the moment with Vera and I was just so glad that she was able to share that story to hopefully make people think before they use their gun.”

After Gillispie lost her son, she started an organization called Mothers Against Gun Violence.

The original goal was to promote the passing of tougher gun laws, but she realized it needed to serve a different purpose.

“When my son was initially murdered, I heard it must have been gang or drug related,” Gillispie said. “How dare you assume the worst because he was an African American.”

With her organization, she collected a series of interviews with survivors of gun violence in the Milwaukee area.

Then she allowed Sheri Williams Pannell to take these interviews to create the documentary theatre production.

Pannell also directed the production. She dedicated it to Gillispie and all survivors of gun violence.

“She’s my inspiration, along with all of the others who were courageous enough to share their stories and to respond in such a way that they are impacting and making change,” Pannell said.

Gillispie had the opportunity to sit in and watch a staged reading of the show that will be performed in a few months.

“That was the purpose of collecting stories from many types of people that live not just in the city of Milwaukee, but that live in Wisconsin, because gun violence can happen anywhere,” said Gillispie.

Gillispie is excited to see the full production at the Black Arts Festival in August. Her hope is that its message will help end the violence in her city.