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  • 1.  26 Pebbles

    Posted 05-12-2023 12:15

    I'm trying to get my administration to allow me to produce 26 Pebbles next year (I feel very supported by my admin, and brought them into the conversation as a courtesy.) 

    We have a fairly conservative community. I know the show is not at all political, but has anyone run into community pushback? 



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    Rebecca Black
    Teacher/Director
    Wayland Union High School
    MI
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  • 2.  RE: 26 Pebbles

    Posted 05-15-2023 09:43

    We did the show pre-covid and yes our administration did have some concerns.  We are a private Catholic school. We were asked to do lots of content warnings, and we did.   I had a counselor available at the beginning of rehearsals as we became familiar with the content and she checked in during the process.  We were asked to provide audience talk backs after the performances so that audiences could process the material with adults present before leaving.  When we finally did the play, it was universally recognized as one of our best. Kids won lots of awards for their performances. Parents and students were deeply moved.  Because of all of the warnings and reticence audiences were small but the rewards were enormous.  The author reached out with congratulations and did the parents of some of the victims who were the very people whose words our cast was performing. We did a donation to the Sandy Hook Foundation with a percentage of the proceeds and many of my faculty and graduates still advocate for them.  In short, KEEP UP THE EFFORTS to do this remarkable piece of theater at the high school level. It will touch hearts and transform lives.   Theater is the "seeing place" and sometimes we need to confront hard topics.  I encourage restraint in the performance.  The words and memories are powerful enough. We did no graphic images at all and no gunshots or sirens.  Happy to talk more.



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    Nell] [Lynch]
    Notre Dame Preparatory School
    MDMaggie
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: 26 Pebbles

    Posted 05-16-2023 08:12

    So, this isn't necessarily about your question but is about the play. I think that fact that it is so intensely "not at all political" is part of the problem. The message of loss at the hands of guns would seemingly be enough to be a call to action except that you get a significant of the way through the script and then there is a monologue from someone who sees an anti-gun protest and says (to paraphrase cause it's been many years) "We shouldn't be doing this. This is also hate" and in that moment I completely dismissed ever producing the play. It took away it's own teeth and said "this isn't a call to action. this is just a trauma dump. society doesn't need to do anything to prevent the next one" and lo and behold, we haven't. 



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    Joseph Gels
    Theatre Teacher
    Boston Latin School
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: 26 Pebbles

    Posted 05-16-2023 11:29

    I hear your point, but that was not our experience.  I found the play to be a thought provoking and meaningful experience for my community. 



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    Nell] [Lynch]
    Notre Dame Preparatory School
    MDMaggie
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    Original Message


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