The impact and legacy of the Sandy Hook tragedy: Sopris Theatre Company’s '26 Pebbles' runs Oct. 10-19 at CMC Spring Valley

A striking piece that humanizes the loss and hope felt after the Sandy Hook school shootings will launch the 2025-26 season for the Sopris Theatre Company.

“26 Pebbles,” a one-act play by Eric Ulloa, is a moving look at the community reaction and resilience in light of the tragic mass killing at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut on Dec. 14, 2012.

The 2017 piece, created through Ulloa’s extensive interviews with more than 60 parents and community members, is a tapestry of monologues and conversations as Newtown residents confronted their memories, fears and hopes following the tragedy. The title refers to the 26 students and staff who were killed at the school.

Rather than simply focusing on the tragedy, “26 Pebbles” looks at the neighborhood gatherings, the grief and the healing that followed, and the power of connections. The piece also illustrates how one community’s story can ripple out, inspiring resilience, empathy and unity far beyond its borders. Most notably, the show was recently staged by students at Florida’s Parkland High School, which saw its own mass shooting in 2018.

Directed by Sopris Theatre Company artistic director Brad Moore, Eric Ulloa’s “26 Pebbles” will be staged from Oct. 10 to 19 at the New Space Theatre, located at CMC Spring Valley. Three performances, Oct. 11, 12 and 17, will also be available for remote screening via a livestream, with post-show conversations with the director and cast.

Performers for the show include Adi DelliQuadri, Jay Edmonds, Dakota Lavigne, Willie Moseley, Calvin Parrish, Sandy Redak and Morgan Walsh.

Sopris Theatre Company’s season has been dedicated to the memory of Gary Katzenberger, former professor and director of CMC’s theater department, who passed away in July.

“26 Pebbles” will be performed at 7 p.m. on Oct. 10, 11, 17 and 18, with 2 p.m. performances on Oct. 12 and 19. The show will also be staged at Aspen’s Wheeler Opera House at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 23 and 24, 2026.

Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students, seniors and CMC faculty and staff.

Other works scheduled for the Sopris Theatre Company’s season include “The White Chip,” staged in February 2026, and “The Cottage,” with performances in April 2026.

For more information on the play and its performances, please contact artistic director Brad Moore email or by calling 970-947-8187.

Colorado Mountain College’s Spring Valley campus, home to New Space Theatre, is located at 3000 County Road 114, in Glenwood Springs.