By Lauren Kane –
The Department of Performing Arts at Salve Regina University rendition of Columbinus premiered on Thursday, Oct. 20 at the Casino Theatre. The work was directed by Suzanne Dell and written by Stephen Karam and PJ Paparelli.
The play is based on the events preceding and involving the Columbine shooting at Columbine High School in 1999. The two characters named Dylan and Eric were strongly based on the two students of the same names, responsible for the Columbine shooting. The other six characters were each based on typical high school students, and in the prelude of the play, it’s said the characters are developed by a combination of interviews with high school students around the country.
Above the set hangs a banner reading, “Through these halls pass the finest kids in America.” The style of the play alternates between a real-time script, and the narrative from inside an individual character’s thought process.
After the final scene where the cast writes the names of the victim’s names on an on-set chalkboard, the play ends with a “thank-you” and “goodnight” from the cast. The reaction from the audience was silence. Some members of the audience were tearful, and some expressed anger at how this event could have been prevented.
Many of the students reacted to the social aspects of the story with shock.
“It really made you think about how you treat people,” said Stephanie Jacques, a freshman. “Like, even the small things matter.”
“(I was) shocked at the fact that all the kids had to do was accept someone, to prevent him going to that extent,” said freshman Nicole Ciolfi.
Immediately following the play, the company held a “talk-back,” an optional session that the audience could attend to share their reactions, thoughts, and emotions on the play and the real-world events that it connects to.
The play had showings at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday night, and had a 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday.
