American Mosaic 2012-2013 - Nicholas Senn High School
Transcription
American Mosaic 2012-2013 - Nicholas Senn High School
American Mosaic 2012-2013 DRAMATURGY Written and Compiled by: Lynne Pace Green, Education Director Michael Driscoll, Education Associate Kate Leslie, Education Apprentice Laura Matthews, Education Apprentice Al Evangelista, Literary Apprentice Rebecca Spooner, Literary Apprentice columbinus Dramaturgy American Mosaic 2012-2013 columbinus FACTS1 columbinus is based on true events and inspired by actual people, writings, and records. The play’s journey begins inside a fictional high school – any high school – and ends with the factual events of April 20, 1999. Though the journey begins in a fictional world, virtually every inch of the script has been based on fact. The information below briefly catalogs the moments of fact and the origins of the authors’ choices through out the play. CAFETERIA p.27-31 • • • In Columbine, jocks were notorious for throwing catsup packets in the cafeteria. Dylan and Eric were the targets of this several times. The school’s motto is: “Through these halls pass the finest kids in America”. The Trench Coat Mafia consisted of a group of “outcasts” at Columbine High School named for the black trench coats they wore. Harris and Klebold had joined the group in the fall of 1998, and were never fully assimilated. DRAMA p.31-36 • • • Dylan ran sound for several shows as part of Columbine High. In his senior year, Dylan was on the sound crew for Frankenstein. Dylan had a hard time dating women. In fact, in his journals was found a letter to a girl apparently never sent. CREATIVE WRITING p.36-42 • • • Dylan’s actual essay and the teacher’s actual markings and comments are the basis for this sequence. Though the essay has been abridged, his words (and the teacher’s comments) are quoted verbatim. Dylan and Eric were both known to speak German in the hallways. At the bowling lanes they were known to yell "Heil Hitler" when they rolled strikes. Their favorite bands were Rammstein and KMFDM. GUIDANCE PART II p.42-45 • • Eric played soccer and also applied to the Marines. Eric's tirade to the guidance counselor is taken from his journal. 1 Round House Theatre Education & Outreach Department, Patricia Hersch, Jerry Whiddon, PJ Paparelli, columbinus Study Guide, Round House Theatre, Bethesda, MD 2 columbinus Dramaturgy American Mosaic 2012-2013 PHYSICAL EDUCATION p.45-52 • • • Eric suffered from a chest deformity for which he had surgery and was left scarred. The verbal exchange in the locker room between Eric (Freak) and another student (Jock) is based on an encounter noted by a fellow Columbine junior. Eric was on the anti-depressant Luvox, the drug that would later prevent him from being accepted into the Marines. HISTORY LESSON p.52-60 • • • • Eric’s journal writings featured prominently in this section (all of his proclamations of “I hate…”) are quoted verbatim from his website. Eric had a fascination with Natural Selection (the words “Natural Selection” were on the white T-shirt he wore the day of the shooting) and with Nietzsche’s uberman philosophy. Eric and Dylan were both professed admirers of Hitler Eric was a fan of violent video games, especially Doom. Eric’s writings and rants were posted on his website. WORK p.60-68 • • • • • Eric and Dylan worked at Blackjack Pizza in Littleton, CO. Eric was reprimanded for bringing a pipe bomb to work. His coworkers also recount incidents in which he would set off dry-ice bombs in the parking lot behind Blackjack’s. Instructions for making bombs were posted on Eric’s website. The manager of Blackjack's had knowledge of Eric's fascination with explosives. Eric's tirade to Faith is taken verbatim from his journal. Eric asked several girls to the prom including one girl who worked at a salon near Blackjack Pizza. She did not go to the prom with him. I.M. (Instant Message) p.68-72 • Eric and Dylan often communicated mischief through I.M. including an incident where they hacked into the school's computers. They were expelled for three days. 3 columbinus Dramaturgy American Mosaic 2012-2013 MISCHIEF p.72-77 • • • • • Eric named himself "REB" (a short form for "Rebel"), Klebold had adopted the pseudonym "VoDKa": Vodka was one of his favorite drinks, and the “DK” in the middle stood for "Dylan Klebold". The Columbine High School mascot was a rebel, which was a colonial soldier with a gun. In their junior year, Eric and Dylan went on “rebel missions” where they would vandalize property in their neighborhood using everything from spray paint to superglue to BB guns and eggs. Eric and Dylan had a history of naming guns. The gun that they used in the shooting was called Arlene. Eric and Dylan were arrested for breaking into a van and stealing electronic equipment. They were caught in Eric's Honda parked a few miles from the scene by a Littleton County police officer. They were charged with first-degree criminal trespassing, theft and criminal mischief. They were sentenced for a year in the juvenile diversion program. The judge's verdict is verbatim. DINNER p.77-88 • • • In an interview, one of Eric’s friends said that Eric brought him to his father’s closet and brought out a pipe bomb that his father had confiscated from him. Dylan’s creative writing teacher spoke with Klebold's parents at a parentteacher conference. She spoke with his guidance counselor. The counselor spoke with Klebold. Klebold assured him it would be OK. “It was just a story”, he said. Dylan and Eric were grounded for two months for the van break in. 4 columbinus Dramaturgy American Mosaic 2012-2013 JUVENILE DIVERSION p.92-100 • • • • • The juvenile diversion scene is taken verbatim from the juvenile diversion records. Eric and Dylan had to meet with a juvenile diversion counselor twice a month for a year. They had to attend classes in anger and time management, complete 45 hours of community service, and as pay hefty fines. They both worked all summer at Blackjack Pizza to earn money to pay off the fines. In a journal entry almost a year before the shootings, during the beginning of his juvenile diversion, Eric began to develop his plan for the shootings. The money they earned at Blackjack Pizza went to purchasing the guns. The counselor's summaries at the end of juvenile diversion are taken verbatim. Both Dylan and Eric had early termination from the program. THE BASMENT TAPES/WHAT IF p.101-115 • • • • • • • • Much of the dialogue from "the eve" is taken from videos Dylan and Eric shot in their basement in the months before the shooting as well as taken from journal entries and web postings. Eric found out days before the shooting that he was rejected from the Marines because of his prescription drug use. Dylan did go to the prom with his friend, Robyn Anderson who is responsible for buying one of their guns. In the months before the shootings, Eric and Dylan practiced at a nearby shooting range with the actual weapons used in the shooting. Eric kept the arsenal for the shootings in his bedroom; in his closet, under the bed and secret cupboards. In one of the videos he gives a tour of his room showing all of the ammunition and weapons. Eric and Dylan had great enjoyment for the movie Natural Born Killers. The projection of the day planner and cafeteria drawing are Eric's. All of the quotes from the end of “What If” to the end of the play are 100% fact, taken from spoken interviews and police interviews. GOODBYE p.135-136 • The dialogue and the shots in the goodbye video are taken verbatim. 5 columbinus Dramaturgy American Mosaic 2012-2013 INTERVIEW WITH THE PLAYWRIGHT ATC Artistic Director and columbinus co-playwright, PJ Paparelli, sat down with ATC’s Education staff to discuss columbinus. We wanted to provide our classroom teachers and teaching artists with an opportunity to hear from him in regards to his thought on the play’s intention, structure, and impact on other schools across America. Why did you choose to use composite characters in the first act of the play? PJ: We wanted the play to feel like it could happen anywhere, but we didn't want to create fictional characters. So, we decided to do workshops in different high schools on the east coast and in the Midwest. The teenagers would discuss the social structure of their school, how they would categorize themselves and other students, and how people saw them on the out side versus what they didn’t show people on the inside. The students were distilling themselves down to specific types. We conducted multiple interviews with the students and based the composite characters in columbinus on these types. What did you want the audience to get out of their experience watching Eric and Dylan? PJ: When we began this process “evil” kept coming up in the media. The media kept dismissing the real issues around what makes somebody do something like this. We felt it was important to never sympathize with Dylan and Eric, but to understand the factors that upset them and led to their depressions. By the end of the first act, the audience feels bad for them because they have been abused. However, at the same time, the audience also sees these elements of darkness that are a step beyond someone who is depressed or ostracized. The second act balances several things. It depicts Dylan and Eric’s ability to manipulate their environment and execute their plan but also reminds the audience that they are just boys. They are 18 year olds who are trying to process a lot of things that are happening to them. There’s a sadness in that. But at the end of the day, even though we’ve humanized them, “The Library” scene makes the audience realize the damage they have done. What do you think the piece has to say to the student population and audience we are working with? PJ: The play is about isolation and how we treat each other in high school. I want the play to bring an awareness of our responsibility to each other in high school as students and as adults who support these little microcosms of society. We need to listen to each other. 6 columbinus Dramaturgy American Mosaic 2012-2013 Can you talk about why columbinus is a docudrama play? How does it differ from the traditional docudrama format? PJ: Pure docudrama texts are derived verbatim from source material, every ounce of it. This is not. As the play progresses it moves closer to that model. And that's sort of what we wanted. The action of the play could hypothetically start anywhere and as the play progresses; the play would end specifically at Columbine High School. Is there a specific style to the piece? PJ: No, the play is not all one style, it changes. That was part of the challenge of putting columbinus together, but it was also part of the excitement. In act one every scene is told through a different means; some without words, some with words, some very naturalistically, some very comically. That cornucopia of adolescence is what we were going for; this kind of music video of their lives. The second act is different because it settles on real people. The intention in the second act is not to reinterpret the characters, but to accurately portray them. The end of the play is an ensemble piece. “The Library” and the “Aftermath” both require the ensemble to bear witness to an event and to what the community went through. What advice would you want to give the teaching artists and classroom teachers? PJ: Investment is really important for this play to work. That investment comes from the students comparing the characters and situations of columbinus to their school. When high schools have worked on this project they have said it gets students talking about something that is uncomfortable, especially if you have classes with “cool kids” and “not so cool kids”. The play is about stepping into somebody else’s shoes and understanding what they’re going through. That requires the students to talk about their lives and the classroom teachers and teaching artists have to embrace that. I think the play is dangerous if you don't have those conversations. You want everybody to connect as a class before they start doing those scenes. I would encourage the teachers and teaching artists to take their time at the beginning of the process. Have a conversation about types, what their school is like, and how they feel. The teaching artists and classroom teachers need to be brave and create a safe space to share genuinely. 7 columbinus Dramaturgy American Mosaic 2012-2013 WHAT IS DOCUMENTARY THEATRE? Documentary theatre uses materials such as interviews, newspapers, government reports, and many other sources as primary material to develop a script. In documentary theatre, interview material The Laramie Project, Tectonic Theatre Project from a variety of perspectives is presented in an unbiased attempt to represent all voices involved. Documentary theater typically has sparse design choices, allowing the audience to focus on the words that are being spoken. Generally, each actor in the piece takes on several roles. The actors Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, Ana Deavere Smith change costumes and use body language in order to portray a multitude of characters on stage. The events are not acted out but told from the point of view of the person being interviewed or the author of the source material. The actors convey what they know is accurate and allow the audience to develop their own points of view. Notable Documentary Theatre pieces: include: The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman and the members of the Tectonic Theatre Project, Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 by Ana Deavere Smith and God’s Country by Steven Deitz 8 columbinus Dramaturgy American Mosaic 2012-2013 TIMELINE OF EVENTS2 The following timeline documents the events of the shooting on April 20, 1999. The massacre began at 11:10am and concluded at 12:08pm. Documents, including maps of the school, additional surveillance footage, Patti Nielson’s 911 call, and the full Jackson County police report can be found at the following link: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2000/columbine.cd/Pages/TOC.htm • 11:10 Harris and Klebold arrive at Columbine High School. • 11:14 Harris and Klebold enter the cafeteria and place two large duffel bags containing 20-pound propane bombs set to explode at 11:17am. Harris and Klebold return to the parking lot. • 11:19 Klebold and Harris pull their shotguns and begin shooting at students in the area, killing Rachel Scott and Daniel Rohrbough and injuring Richard Castaldo. • 11:24 Harris and Klebold enter the school. Teacher Patti Nielson suffers abrasions from one of the gunmen and retreats to the library. • 11:25 Nielson, hiding under the front counter in the library, calls 911. Teacher Dave Sanders is shot attempting to escape the library hallway. • 11:27 Harris and Klebold stalk the library hallway, throwing pipe bombs. • 11:29 Harris and Klebold enter the library. Harris and Klebold kill 10 people and wound 12 more. 34 of 56 people in the library escape injury. • 11:36 Harris and Klebold stalk the hallways but do not attempt to break into any rooms. • 11:44 Klebold and Harris go to the cafeteria and attempt to detonate the bombs. • 12:00 Harris and Klebold return to the library and shoot at paramedics as they rescue wounded students outside. • 12:08 Harris and Klebold kill themselves. 2 Jackson County Sheriff Department, Narrative Timeline of Events, http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2000/columbine.cd/Pages/NARRATIVE.Time.Lin e.htm (October 2012) 9 columbinus Dramaturgy American Mosaic 2012-2013 DEMOGRAPHICS OF LITTLETON, CO AND COLUMBINE HIGH SCHOOL According to the 2003 census, the population of Littleton, Colorado in 2000 was 40,340. The population demographic was 91.8% Caucasian, 1.2% African American, 1.7% Asian, 8.4% Hispanic. 91.3% of the population possessed a High School diploma and 40.1% possessed a Bachelors degree or higher. The average household income was $50,583. 6% of the population lived below the poverty line. 3 Columbine High School Columbine High school is an upper middle class high school with an average enrollment of 2,000 students. Student body demographics included 91% Caucasians, 5% Hispanics, 2% Asian/Pacific Islanders, and 1% African Americans. The school boasted a 92% graduation rate and a 79% college-bound rate. 4 Columbine High School 3 United States Census Bureau 4 Sandra J. Austin, “Lessons Learned from the Shootings at Columbine High School,” The Human Side of School Crises – A Public Risk Symposium 2003 10 columbinus Dramaturgy American Mosaic 2012-2013 THE COLUMBINE VICTIMS On April 20, 1999 Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris wounded 21 students and killed 12 students and one teacher. Below are images and short biographies of the victims of the Columbine shootings. Rachel Scott, age 17 Rachel, a senior at Columbine, was an aspiring writer and actress. She was the first victim killed on April 20th. A month before her death, she wrote in a school essay: "I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then it will start a chain reaction of the same. People will never know how far a little kindness can go.” Daniel Rohrbough, age 15 Daniel enjoyed electronics and computer games. He helped in his father's stereo business everyday after school and, during the summer, he worked on his grandfather's farm harvesting wheat as he had done since he was three. Kyle Velasquez, age 16 Just after he was born, Kyle suffered a stroke that left him mentally disabled. After years of speech therapy, therapy for his fine motor skills, and a search for a school with the right fit, Kyle’s parents enrolled him in Columbine. He had only been a student there for three months. 11 columbinus Dramaturgy American Mosaic 2012-2013 Steven Curnow, age 14 Steven loved reading and playing soccer. Even after Steven did not make the high school soccer team, he never lost his love for the game. He continued to play on his recreational soccer team and was also a referee. Steven was also an avid Star Wars buff and collected books, video games, and could quote all the films. He wanted to continue his education and become a naval aviator. Cassie Bernall, age 17 The center of her life was the West Bowles Community Church, where she attended Bible study four or five times a week and was active in the youth group. She loved snowboarding, photography, rock climbing, backpacking, and camping. She had plans to become an obstetrician and to attend Cambridge University in England Isaiah Shoels, age 18 Born with a heart defect, his parents said he was a fighter who overcame his disability and went on to play football and wrestle. Isaiah also played keyboards and wanted to become a record producer, like his father, Michael, who started a musical firm to promote black musicians in the Denver area. He was one of 16 African American students enrolled in 1999. After graduation, Isaiah had planned to attend the Denver Institute of the Arts. 12 columbinus Dramaturgy American Mosaic 2012-2013 Matthew Kechter, age 16 Matt Kechter was a sophomore. He played on both the offensive and defensive lines of the football team. He was also a weight lifter and an 'A' student at Columbine. Matt wanted to attend the University of Colorado and continue to play football there. Lauren Townsend, age 18 Lauren would have been a valedictorian for the senior class. Lauren was co-captain of the girls` volleyball team, a member of the National Honor Society, and worked at a local animal shelter. In the fall of 1999, she had planned to attend Colorado State University and study wildlife biology. John Tomlin, age 16 John worked after school at a local nursery hauling trees and was very active in his church youth group. He loved Chevrolet cars and had purchased a Chevy truck when he got his driver’s license. He was buried in a satin-lined coffin embroidered with Chevy trucks. 13 columbinus Dramaturgy American Mosaic 2012-2013 Kelly Fleming, age 16 Kelly Fleming and her family moved to Littleton from Phoenix, Arizona 18 months before the shooting. She was an aspiring songwriter and author who wrote many poems and short stories based on her life experiences. She loved to read, especially books about vampires. One day she hoped to be a published author. Daniel Mauser, age 15 Daniel loved to hike and ski. He was very interested in current affairs and had brought up his disappointment with the lack of gun control laws in Colorado to his father a few months before the shooting. Daniel was known as a peacemaker among his friends and classmates. Corey DePooter, age 17 Corey was an avid fisherman and hunter. On the day he died, he planned to go to the bank with his father to get a loan for a used Mustang he'd picked out. As a condition for the car, his parents had told Corey he had to keep his grades up, which they suspect was the reason he was in the library that day. 14 columbinus Dramaturgy American Mosaic 2012-2013 Dave Sanders, age 47 Sanders started teaching at Columbine in 1975. He was a popular business teacher, who also coached girls' basketball and softball. According to one of his daughters, his “number one love” was coaching. Over the years, the twice-married father of four daughters and grandfather of five children became a fixture at the school. A new baseball field was named for him at Columbine High School years after he was killed. THE COLUMBINE MEMORIAL The site of the Columbine Memorial was dedicated and opened to the public on September 21, 2007. Each of the victim's families was asked to provide a unique and personal reflection in text that would honor their loved one. These remembrances were engraved in stone and stand as a tribute to the victims at Columbine High School. 15 columbinus Dramaturgy American Mosaic 2012-2013 PROFILES OF DYLAN KLEBOLD AND ERIC HARRIS The following profiles are excerpts from the Jefferson County Sheriff Departments Profiles of Klebold and Harris5 Dylan Bennet Klebold was born in Denver, Colorado on September 11,1981. He was the second child of Thomas and Susan and the brother of Byron, three years older. As a boy, he was in the Boy Scouts and was a pitcher on his Little League team. His parents told investigators that Dylan was a gentle boy and never gave any indications of a violent nature. Klebold attended Governor’s Ranch Elementary School where he was part of the CHIPS (Challenging High Intellectual Potential Students) program for gifted and talented children and Ken Caryl Middle School. While at Columbine High School, Klebold became active in school play productions and operated the lights and sound. He was involved in video productions and Columbine High School’s Rebel News Network. Klebold also became a computer assistant at school and helped maintain the school computer server. He also built his own home computer. His friends generally described him as shy and quiet and somewhat of a follower. In most accounts, he was a typical teenager with an interest in video games, movies, computers, and spending time with groups of other teenagers. According to friends, nothing in his behavior gave clues of what he and Harris were planning. Investigators searched for answers to why Klebold opened fire on his classmates and teachers. Although no clear-cut answers were found, there were clues. Klebold left behind glimpses of his thoughts in the form of notes jotted down in a day planner, a 1997 journal and writings in a math notebook and a yearbook. 5 Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, Glimpses of the Shooters, http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2000/columbine.cd/Pages/SUSPECTS_TEXT.ht m (October 2012) 16 columbinus Dramaturgy American Mosaic 2012-2013 Eric David Harris was born April 9, 1981 in Wichita, Kansas, to Wayne and Kathy Harris. He had a brother, Kevin, who was three years older. Wayne Harris was in the U.S. Air Force and moved his family many times during the course of his career. In July of 1993 the family moved to Littleton, Colorado. Eric went to Ken Caryl Middle School where he met Dylan Klebold. Wayne and Kathy Harris told investigators that, as a child, Harris played soccer and baseball, and by the 7th and 8th grades, developed an interest in computers. Harris was also interested in baseball cards, computer games and videos. His parents said that their son was content to be by himself but also had close friends in high school. While attending Columbine High School, Harris became involved in video productions and the school’s Rebel News Network as well as the school’s computer labs. In 1998, Harris applied for enlistment in the Marine Corps, but the medication he was taking disqualified him. Harris’ journal began in April 1998. Below is an excerpt from his journal depicting his sense of inferiority and rage towards the human race. 17 columbinus Dramaturgy American Mosaic 2012-2013 THE BASEMENT TAPES Harris and Klebold left behind videotapes documenting many of their plans, activities, and philosophies. Harris and Klebold taped a tour of Harris’s bedroom, showing off their weapons and bombs. They recorded each other conducting dress rehearsals and they taped the drive in Harris’s car to buy supplies needed for their plans. While talking to the camera, Harris and Klebold laughed at how easy it was to make other people believe what they wanted them to. They talked about how “evolved” they were and how they considered themselves to be “above human.” Klebold and Harris both talked on camera about the rage and anger that had built up for years and declared they would destroy the world if they could. Harris asserted that, “There is nothing that anyone could have done to prevent this. No one is to blame except me and Vodka.” He went on to say their actions were “a two man war against everyone else.” 18 columbinus Dramaturgy American Mosaic 2012-2013 MAJOR SCHOOL SHOOTINGS PRE AND POST COLUMBINE6 Below is a timeline of major U.S. school and university shootings. PRE COLUMBINE • Austin, Texas, August 1, 1966 – 16 deaths, 32 wounded. A former Marine and University of Texas student opened fire in and around campus. He was killed by a police officer. • Jonesboro, Arkansas, March 24, 1998 – 5 deaths, 11 wounded. Two boys, ages 11 and 13, fired on their middle school from the woods. POST COLUMBINE • Tucson, Arizona, October 29, 2002 – 4 deaths. A failing student killed three professors and then himself at the University of Arizona School of Nursing. • Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, October 2, 2006 – 6 deaths. A dairy truck driver shot the female students at a one-room Amish schoolhouse. The man then shot himself. • Blacksburg, Virginia, April 16, 2007 - 32 deaths. A student opened fire at Virginia Polytechnic and State University in the worst single act of gun violence in U.S. history. • Dekalb, Illinois, February 14, 2008 – 6 deaths. A former graduate opened fire at Northern Illinois University before killing himself. • Huntsville, Alabama, February 12, 2010 – 3 deaths, 3 wounded. A University of Alabama professor opened fire at a faculty meeting. • Chardon, Ohio, February 27, 2012 – 3 deaths, 2 wounded. A student opened fire in a cafeteria at Chardon High School 6 Rueters, Timeline: Major U.S. School and College Shootings, http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/03/us-usa-shootingsidUSBRE83201820120403 (November 2012) 19 columbinus Dramaturgy American Mosaic 2012-2013 VIDEO AND MEDIA RESOURCES The following links provide media footage from the day of the shooting. The media footage, both local and national, attempts to piece together the nature of the tragedy, provide vital information to families, and evaluate why this event took place. This material does contain graphic images. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_0CLDuKJvI&feature=relmfu http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8t8lAiIVpLk&feature=relmfu http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7G7cP640F8k&feature=relmfu http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxfbvlCW8-0&feature=relmfu http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwoAWD2mXXM&feature=relmfu ABC News Nightline Report the evening of the shooting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TzBgauw7Jo&feature=related NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQDx1wUFsKE&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvjDsCNBabI&feature=relmfu The full surveillance video from the cafeteria can be viewed here. This video documents Columbine students taking cover under tables and evacuating the cafeteria (41:31-45:15). The video also documents the 16 minutes Klebold and Harris spent in the cafeteria lighting and detonating pipe bombs (the two major explosions can be seen at 01:04:45 and 01:06:30) as well as shooting the propane tanks they had brought into the school (01:02:45-01:19:00). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LfwliEvCVY&feature=plcp 20