The Challenge
Change the Ref’s (CTR) goal is to promote better gun safety laws in the U.S., using provocative advertising and artistic techniques. Its founder, Manuel Oliver, is a painter and visual artist who has dedicated his life since his son’s murder during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, to campaigning for gun law reform in the U.S. His work includes creating large-scale public art pieces across America and beyond, which has generated worldwide attention.
The Solution
When you lose a son, what do you do? If you're Manuel Oliver, you turn your grief into action. Change the Ref’s founder did just that the week of January 20, 2025, when the United States held its Presidential Inauguration of Donald J. Trump. That same week, Manuel premiered “GUAC: The Play” at the Wooly Mammoth Theatre near the U.S. Capital, where the inauguration takes place. “GUAC: The Play” is a fearless, funny, and deeply moving theatrical show about a father turned activist. Seven years after his son Joaquin "Guac" Oliver was killed in the Parkland shooting, Manuel Oliver channels his love, loss, and rage into a rallying cry for change. In the show, Oliver paints a vivid, unforgettable portrait of a vibrant life cut short—and his fight for a better future. The play speaks to anyone who has ever loved, lost, or dreamed of making a difference.
