Producers R. Erin Craig, La Vie Productions, James E. Cleveland, Randy Donaldson and Wolfstone Productions will present the 7 PM reading in commemoration of the second anniversary of the tragedy.
Proceeds from the event will benefit a collection of charities chosen by the citizens of the City of Newtown, whose voices and testimonies are evocatively presented — verbatim — in 26 Pebbles.
According to press notes, "26 Pebbles is a new play that explores the power of community in the face of unimaginable tragedy. On December 14, 2012, 20-year-old Adam Lanza fatally shot 20 children and 6 adult staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT. The tragedy captured the attention — and broke the hearts — of the entire nation. These 26 innocent deaths — referred to by one Newtown resident as 'pebbles thrown into a pond' — created ripples and vibrations that were felt across the country."
Ulloa conducted interviews with residents of Newtown in the months after the tragedy — including shop owners, parents of students, religious leaders, spiritualists, town workers and others who were touched by the tragedy. Those transcripts were then adapted into a play that asks, "How does a community endure the ultimate test, and what comes after the cameras and noise leave?"
"Months after the tragedy in Newtown, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were losing a precious moment in time, as far as learning from this horrific event," added Ulloa in a statement. "The story became a divisive political issue and we stopped listening to the voices of this community that still had a whole lot to say. I went to Newtown 5 months after the tragedy, just to allow people to talk about what was on their minds and how they felt about all this. It soon became clear that they were giving me a guide book on how to navigate tragedy and how to try to bring about the best possible outcome from the worst possible situation. This community, and their understanding of what that words means, changed my life forever, and their stories have the power to change many, many more. I am honored and extremely humbled to be the one to give these beautiful interviews a forum to be heard within." The charities that will benefit from the evening include Avielle Foundation, Classes4Classes, UConn Sandy Hook Memorial Scholarship Fund and My Sandy Hook Family Fund, among others to be announced.
The Lynn Redgrave Theater is located at 45 Bleecker Street. For more information on the play or the reading, contact [email protected]. For tickets, click here or call (866) 811-4111.
