About
"26
"26
Warnings
This show portrays the events leading up to and the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
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There will be several loud noises throughout the show
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There will be discussion of triggering themes such as suicide and PTSD
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The stage lights will flicker a few times throughout the play
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255
Director's Note
26 Pebbles
by Eric Ulloa
"On December 14, 2012, Adam Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School and killed 26 innocent souls before taking his own life. These 26 innocent deaths, like pebbles thrown into a pond, created ripples and vibrations that were felt far beyond the initial rings. This is the story of those vibrations.
Similar in style to The Laramie Project, 26 Pebbles is a heartbreaking and riveting docudrama. Playwright Eric Ulloa conducted interviews with members of the community in Newtown and crafted them into an exploration of gun violence and a small town shaken by a horrific event.
It was April 20th, 1999, one day before my 18th birthday. That was the Columbine High School shooting that took place in Colorado. Of course, I knew how devastating and serious that was at the time, but I never knew the ripple effect that it would have on generations to come and the snowball that would be created from that awful massacre that took place on April 20th, 1999.
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Unfortunately, there would be more school shootings that took place after that dreadful day. In fact, over 13 years later there would be an even worse shooting that took place, however, this time it was just in a few towns away from where I grew up in Fairfield, Connecticut. I haven't lived in Connecticut since the early 2000s, but I still had many friends and family members that lived in Fairfield and even in Newtown.
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It just blows my mind how after ALL of these events have taken place that we "as a society," have still not figured out a way to stop them from reoccurring. There are so many touchy subjects that come out of these events. Social emotional challenges that our children are dealing with, gun control and how can we navigate this better, who has the "right" way of handling it?
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Well, this work by Eric Ulloa can help us look from a different lens as Eric has gone to Newtown and the Sandy Hook area and interviewed citizens that were around the town on the day of December 14th, 2012, when the unfortunate of all things happened as Adam Lanza went into an elementary school and killed 26 people before taking his own life. This script was formed based off of the interviews from those citizens of Newtown and the Sandy Hook area and we learn about why or how their journey landed them in Newtown, what happened on the day of the awful event, and the aftermath of it all.
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This is a very real thing and is still happening TODAY! What can we do as a society to help protect our children, teachers, administration, and communities from these awful events to STOP HAPPENING. It's easy to point fingers at things but let's think about what actions can each of US do to help right this ship. These performers and crew members have worked very hard to shine light on this awful event and share ways that faith, hope, love, family, and support can not only carry us through these tough times but help mend and discontinue these awful acts of violence.
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Sincerely,
Mr. Brian Kaufman
Theatre Director