26 Pebbles

BY ERIC ULLOA

What happened to the people of Newtown, Conn., after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre after the rest of the world kept spinning and moved on? Months after the attack, Eric Ulloa held intimate interviews with members of the Newtown community and created a play that nods to Thornton Wilder’s Our Town. This docudrama is a weave of verbatim interview excerpts from many people of Newtown as they recount the ripples that were made in the aftermath of unthinkable tragedy and the resulting push forward towards healing in their community.

SHOW PHOTOS

2018 Performance Dates

April 13, 14, 20 & 21 at 7:30 p.m.
April 15 & 22 (April 22 ASL interpreted) at 2 p.m.

SPECIAL EVENTS

All events are open to the public.

April 21 Pre-Show Discussion Panel
Saturday, April 21 
4:30 - 6 p.m.
Fine Arts Theatre

April 22 Post-Show Talkback
Sunday, April 22 immediately following the performance
Fine Arts Theatre

Resource Tables in the Fine Arts Lobby
Kent State Stark is collaborating with Phoenix Rising, CommQuest, NAMI Stark County and Sandy Hook Promise, which will have representatives available during performances. The goal is to provide resources and spur healthy conversation about gun violence and prevention.

Ticket Information

Adults - $10
Seniors (55 and over) - $7
Non-KSU Students (17 and under) - $7
KSU Students - Free with current ID

• Tickets sales begin April 2 at 8 a.m.
• Purchase tickets online, by phone or in person at the Box Office.
• Visa, MasterCard and Discover accepted. Checks and cash accepted in person at the Box Office.
• Tickets purchased online or by phone will be available at Will Call.
• Will Call opens one hour prior to curtain time and closes when the performance begins.
• Kent State Students: Free admission with current Kent State ID. Seats must be reserved in person at the Box Office.
• No refunds for purchased tickets. Exchanges for the same production can be made by contacting the Box Office prior to the reserved performance date.
• Tickets held at Will Call will be forfeited if not picked up by curtain time.

Cast

Selena Juarez: Jenn, Joni, Carla
 
 
 
 
Spencer Morgan: Michael, Darren, Bill, Father Weiss
Spencer Morgan is a junior at Kent State Stark, and is majoring in middle childhood education, along with a minor in theatre performance. Spencer participated in many productions throughout high school, and had the chance to participate in two shows during the 2016-2017 season of the Little Theatre of Tuscarawas County; playing multiple parts in Shuddersome: Tales of Poe, Richard Stanley in The Man Who Came to Dinner; and Eliot in Consider the Oyster at Kent State Stark. Aside from theatre, Spencer enjoys reading, playing video games, and blasting Fleetwood Mac as he drives to and from the campus every day. He would like to thank the director for giving him this opportunity, and his family for supporting him every step of the way.

Aaron Byrd: Joe, Chris, Rabbi Praver, Mike
 
 
 
 
Meredith Beatty: Yolie, Jerian, Sally
 
 
 
 
Emily Weiss: Georgia, Kat, Jennifer, Carrie
Emily is a recent graduate from Kent State University at Stark. As soon as she saw the shows for this season, she knew that she wanted to be a part of telling this story. Past credits include: Reasons To Be Happy (Carly), Silent Sky (Margaret Leavitt), being in the Player’s Guild Theatre’s A Christmas Carol (ensemble), The Bicentennial Project (multiple roles) and Blur (Assistant Stage Manager). She has also performed in multiple productions at GlenOak High School. The arts have always been a major aspect of her life and loves that she can continue to be a storyteller. Emily would like to thank her family and friends, as well as Brian (and the cast and crew), for all of their support, guidance and giving her the opportunities to help her do what she loves.

Marie Kaplan: Julie, Starr, Carole
 
 
 

Production Team

Eric Ulloa: Playwright
Eric is the author of the play, “26 Pebbles,” which had its world premiere at The Human Race Theatre Company. “26 Pebbles,” was featured in American Theatre Magazine and The New York Times and is currently scheduled for numerous productions throughout the country. Eric Ulloa is the book writer of “Passing Through: The Musical,” which was a part of the Johnny Mercer Writer’s Colony at Goodspeed Musicals in 2015 and 2016. Eric is also the book writer of “Molly Sweeney: A Musical,” based on the play by Brian Friel, which recently played the Bay Street Theatre Festival of New Works. On the other side of the footlights, Eric was in the Original Broadway Company of "On Your Feet! The Story of Gloria and Emilio Estefan."

Brian Newberg: Director
Brian Newberg is an Associate Professor of Theatre and Theatre Director at Kent State University at Stark. Brian’s directing experience (over eighty production credits) includes Broadway, Regional, Equity Waiver, industry showcases, new work development, and many college productions. He has extensive experience as an actor (over seventy production credits) in the New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Oregon areas. He has also served as an Associate Artistic Director for a regional theatre company, run his own private acting studios, and taught at a number of colleges on the west coast before coming to Kent State. Brian is a member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) and received his M.F.A. in Directing from the University of California, Irvine.

Jessica Swank: Assistant Director/Dramaturg
Jessica Swank is a recent theatre production graduate at Kent State University. She has been involved in acting and technical work at the high school, community and professional level. She owns and operates Coercion Theatre, Inc. in Canton, and directed their debut show, The Maybe Pile, by Cleveland playwright Arwen Mitchell. Due to her interest and love of every facet of theatre she has found herself drawn to directing, and is building her resume to attend graduate school in the future. This resume consists of assistant directing at Kent State Stark and in Cleveland, a full production in Canton, and several staged readings in Cleveland. She looks forward to spreading her wings further. Some of her acting credits include Merv in Our House and Mom in Blur at Kent State Stark; Jessica in Merchant of Venice at Canton Player's Guild, Maria in West Side Story at GlenOak High School, Macduff/3rd Witch in Macbeth with the Bodwin Portable Theatre Company, Pace in The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek at Dobama Theater. 

Louis Williams: Scenic & Lighting Designer
Louis Williams is the resident technical director, and scenic and lighting designer, at Kent State Stark and has designed over 200 productions in 30 years in theatre, opera, ballet and rock-n-roll. This includes work with such theatre companies as: The American Ballet Theatre II, The Joffrey Ballet II, The Arizona Theatre Company, The Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis, The Kenley Players, The Ohio Light Opera, The Cleveland Opera, The Cinncinnati Opera, Southern Arizona Light Opera Company, Carousel Dinner Theatre, The Agora, Cleveland Ohio, The Temple Of Music And Art, Tucson, Arizona, ChildsPlay Inc, of Phoenix, Arizona, and The Scottsdale Civic Center, Scottsdale, Arizona. Read more.

Ron Jarvis: Sound Designer
You might recognize Ron Jarvis as a performer, producer, music director, and/or composer for such stalwart North East Ohio acts as The Buckeye Biscuit Band, Ital, First Light, Alex Bevan, Pat Dailey and, most recently, Macaw; the American Worldbeat Band. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Kent State where he has taught Art of the Theatre and Theatre Criticism classes as well as the three part series of Sound Design and Technology classes for the Entertainment Arts and Technologies certificates program. Ron has worked with world renowned directors Vincent Dowling (composition for The Winter’s Tale at Kent State) as well as Ping Chong (Blindness: The Irresistible Light Of Encounter at La Mama Theatre in NYC) and has served as a live mix consultant at Geauga Lake and Cedar Point Amusement Parks. Although his first sound design for Kent State Stark was for the 2002 production of Dancing at Lughnasa, since 2007 he has designed many of the Kent State Stark theatrical productions including Oklahoma!, The Marriage of Bette and Boo, Into the Woods, The Revenger’s Tragedy, The Mikado, Crazy for You, Dating is Tough to Do...and Funny, Too!, Songs for a New World, Plumfield, Iraq, Evil Dead: The Musical and Anton in Show Business.

Stephen Ostertag: Costume Designer
Stephen is excited to be a part of Kent State Stark Theatre’s creative team. Stephen earned his BFA in Theatre Design and Technology from Kent State University in 2015. After graduating in the top of his class, Stephen immediately joined Kent State University Stark as their Costume Designer in residence and adjunct instructor teaching Costume Design and Makeup courses. The proud father of three, Stephen founded the Silver Star Youth Theatre Company with his wife, Tricia. For five years Silver Star provided theatrical opportunities for young performers through collaboration with Stark Parks. Stephen hopes to continue working in theatre instruction at every age level, “Theatre is about community and team work, qualities which are vital to a healthy society.” Some of his favorite design credits include: Spring Awakening, Cabaret, These Shining Lives, Almost Maine, Memphis, Silent Sky, and Sister Act.

James McKeon: Composer and Musician
James is a music technology major at Kent State Stark. He has an extensive background in music performance and writing, as well as painting. James has performed in various bands since 5th grade, and has created original artwork all his life. He learned about scenic design through his first full theatre experience at Kent State Stark with Evil Dead: The Musical and again as scenic/lighting design assistant in Spring Awakening and Almost, Maine, and multimedia design assistant for The Bicentennial Project. He recently was a crew member for The Maiden's Prayer, Cat's-Paw, Our House, One Slight Hitch, Blur and These Shining Lives. James works as a theatre technician for the Kent State Stark Theatre Department.

Morgan Brown: Stage Manager
Morgan is currently a sophomore at Kent State Stark, with a major in theatre performance. She has been acting for most of her life, during which time she has had the privilege of playing a multitude of roles, including Oliver in Oliver!, The Ghost of Christmas Past in A Christmas Carol (Players Guild Theatre), Peter Pan in Peter Pan (GlenOak High School), Steph in Reasons To Be Happy, Henrietta in Silent Sky and Anne in Virtual Devotion at Kent State Stark. She was also the Assistant Stage Manager for Consider the Oyster at Kent State Stark. 

Ryan Lucas: Assistant Stage Manager, Multimedia Design Assistant
 
 
 
 
Michael Porter: Assistant Stage Manager
 
 
 
 
Deborah Rosa: Scenic/Lighting Design Assistant
 
 
 
 
Sarah Brine: Costume Design Assistant
 

 

John Coyne: Sound/Multimedia Design Assistant
 
 
 
 
Johnathan Risden: Sound/Multimedia Design Assistant
 
 
 
 
Reis Rankin: Sound/Multimedia Design Assistant
 
 
 

Anthony Antoniades: Crew
Anthony Antoniades appeared in Huck Finn’s Story, Dating Is Tough To Do...And Funny, Too!, Plumfield, Iraq, Buried Child, Blur and These Shining Lives at Kent State Stark, where he also stage managed Songs for a New World and Evil Dead: The Musical, served as lighting design assistant for Anton in Show Business, sound design assistant in Silent Sky and served as crew for Reasons To Be Happy, Almost, Maine, The Bicentennial Project and What We're Up Against, Consider the Oyster and Virtual Devotion. He is a theatre major at Kent State.
 
Layla O'Neal: Crew