Texas Lawmakers Want to Allow Guns in Our Theatres. That’s Insane

by Chris Peterson, OnStage Blog Founder

There’s an old theatre superstition that saying “Macbeth” inside a theatre brings bad luck. I never believed it. But now, thanks to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the real curse haunting theatre spaces isn’t a Shakespearean tragedy — it’s government overreach mixed with guns.

Last week, Paxton sued Texas performing arts venues for allegedly violating state law by prohibiting firearms in their spaces. His lawsuit claims these theatres — spaces designed for creativity, expression, and community — are illegally posting signs that ban guns. And he’s doing this in a state that allows permitless carry.

Let that sink in.

Texas law already permits adults to carry handguns without a license or training, in public, nearly anywhere. Now Paxton is arguing that audiences should be able to bring deadly weapons into live theatre venues — the same way they bring a ticket or a program.

And while I support elements of the Second Amendment — I believe in responsible ownership, safety training, and the right to protect yourself — this is a bridge too far. We’re not talking about someone defending their home or property. We’re talking about loaded weapons inside a theatre filled with families, school groups, and artists putting their hearts on the line. There’s no version of that scenario that feels remotely safe or necessary.

Theatres are sacred spaces. They are one of the last remaining places where strangers sit side-by-side, phones off, in shared silence or laughter or tears, to watch stories unfold in real time. It’s a space that requires vulnerability — for the artists on stage and the audience in the seats. The idea that someone, anyone, could be sitting a few rows behind you with a gun tucked into their waistband turns that vulnerability into a threat.

How are performers supposed to give their all when they’re staring into a sea of people and wondering who might be packing heat? How are ushers supposed to enforce basic rules like “no flash photography” if they have to wonder whether a patron might respond by flashing something far more dangerous? This isn’t a hypothetical fear — this is real, especially in a country where mass shootings are a weekly headline.

Paxton’s actions aren’t about protecting constitutional rights — they’re about intimidating cultural institutions into silence. They’re about flexing power in a way that endangers artists, staff, and audiences alike.

The irony is rich, too. The same people who rail against “safe spaces” in education suddenly insist that their own version of safety requires bringing a weapon to a play. It’s not about safety. It’s about control.

Let’s be clear: this isn’t just a Texas problem. What happens in one state sets precedent. If AGs in other states start following suit, we could be looking at a future where theatres are forced to welcome guns but can still legally turn away drag performers. Where a prop gun on stage has to be registered but a loaded Glock in the third row doesn’t.

That’s not the future I want for the arts. And it’s certainly not the future I want for the next generation of theatre kids dreaming about a life on stage.

If Ken Paxton wants to turn every theatre into a potential crime scene under the guise of freedom, then he’s not protecting Texans — he’s endangering them. Guns don’t belong in the theatre. And no amount of political posturing will ever make that safe, smart, or sane.