Benefit Reading of Eric Ulloa's Sandy Hook Play 26 PEBBLES Set for Culture Project

Producers R. Erin Craig, La Vie Productions, James E. Cleveland, Randy Donaldson and Wolfstone Productions will present a benefit staged reading of the Newtown docudrama 26 Pebbles, a stirring new play by Eric Ulloa to be directed by Igor Goldin. The star-studded one-night only event will be hosted by the Culture Project at The Lynn Redgrave Theater (45 Bleecker Street) on Monday, December 15th at 7:00PM 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.

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.

Playwright Eric 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 provocatively asks: How does a community endure the ultimate test, and what comes after the cameras and noise leave?

The charities that will benefit from this special evening include Avielle Foundation (www.AvielleFoundation.org), Classes4Classes (www.Classes4Classes.org), UConn Sandy Hook Memorial Scholarship Fund (www.friends.uconn.edu/sandyhook), and My Sandy Hook Family Fund (www.MySandyHookFamilyFund.com), among others to be announced. More info on each of these below.

"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," stated Ulloa. "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." He goes on to state, "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."

Tickets for 26 Pebbles are priced at $50 - $150 (Premium Ticket includes a VIP Reception), with limited partial view seating at $30, now available online at https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pe/9964774, or by calling (866) 811-4111. (Ticket fees will apply.)