By Rachel Shuster

Columbinus is a play sparked by the tragic events that occurred in April, 1999 at Columbine High School in Jefferson County, Colorado. The theatrical interpretation of the massacre premiered in 2005 at the Round House Theatre and explores the psychological conflict of alienation, hostility and social pressure that is present in every high school. Created by the United States Theatre Project and written by Stephen Karam and PJ Paparelli, Columbinus integrates excerpts from discussions with survivors, parents and community leaders in the town of Littleton, and even uses diaries and home video footage to reveal the dark reality of some adolescents.

Rob Urbinati, Director of Clark University’s production of Columbinus, is Director of New Play Development at Queens Theatre in the Park, where he oversees the Immigrant Voices Project, a newly developed program which creates plays by writers who represent the diverse demographic of New York City. Urbinati’s resume includes writing and directing various plays from Oregon all the way to our very own Worcester, MA. His past Worcester credits include Clark University’s production of As Bees in Honey Drown. Urbinati, a Massachusetts native, has now made his way back to Clark University to direct this hard-hitting and powerful play through connections made with Gino Dilorio of the Clark Theatre Program.

Dilorio, speaking about Urbaniti, says, “We’re very excited to have Rob Urbinati direct at Clark. Rob’s a gifted director and playwright, he’s also an excellent researcher.  We’re lucky to be able to bring a New York director in to work with students on such an important play.  And Rob is especially good working with young actors.  When working on a piece at the university, a director has to be a teacher as well. We have majors working alongside non-majors, this kind of experience is very important to the training of our actors and technical staff as well.  It’s not just about mounting the show, it’s a learning experience at many levels. And a piece like Columbinus we’re sure will resonate with the community, both on and off-campus.”

As for the events at Columbine High School becoming a theatrical play, Urbinati says, “After a horrible event, it is interesting to see how society deals with it.” It is important to convey these issues in different ways to affect different people, because they are still important to this day.

To describe the play, Urbinati explains that, “The first half of the show is like any high school, including the different types you find in high school, the jocks, the nerds, etc. It doesn’t identify the students other than that. The point is that this could be any high school. The second half is when it gets more specific and the two characters of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold are revealed.”

Although putting on this play is an intense experience, Urbinati is confident in himself, his cast, his crew and all those involved, and knows that this show will be a success and is important for all to see. “This will be an experience for the students [the cast]. My goals are to have them learn how to act/relate to their fellow actors, collaborate, grab the attention of other students and create something that grabs the audience. This is still a hot topic, and the challenges and dangers of this event haven’t changed since 1999,” Urbinati explains.

As director, Urbinati finds there are many things that are important to convey through the show. For one, rather than viewing Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold solely as villains, we need to try to understand them. “Presenting them as villains would be too easy,” he says. “We have to walk the line between cruelty and some degree understand them, but not sympathize. It’s a hard line.”

Urbinati also explains that the play “…takes on a lot of myths about what really happened.” He goes on to say that “A lot of what people think happened – didn’t. For example, a lot of people think that the two boys were bullied, which is why they did what they did, but really, they were the bullies.”

As for the meaning of the title Columbinus, Urbinati notes that it really has never been explained. “Before I believed that it sounded Greek, that it sounded sort of like a contemporary Greek tragedy. Then I thought more about the ‘us’ on the end and its play on words, because the events of what happened relate to all of us,” Urbinati explains.

Despite the serious content, the play is not solely intended for a specific age group. “The play is meant to be put on by students, and seen by students, etc,” Urbinati says. However, healso says that the play does touch upon adult themes like sexuality and violence.

There is also a “high tech” feel to the show. Urbinati explains that “The show uses a lot of technical means to tell the story.” Besides the video footage, there are emails, voiceovers, the use of projectors, etc. In one scene, you will see two students typing at computers. There is no dialogue, you just hear typing, and up on the projector screen you see what they are typing. “It is a contemporary means of storytelling. The show is more high tech because that’s how students communicate,” Urbinati says.

With auditions completed, rehearsals in place and everything coming together, Urbinati is prepared for the emotional rollercoaster that he and his cast and crew may experience while creating this show. “It is a concern of mine, coping with the issues at hand. We have to explore the violent, raw and sad events that were, yet at the same time have to find a way to distance ourselves enough because the events are so horrifying. There is no easy answer to how to cope, but we must take it seriously. There are big challenges, and I want to be sure we stay faithful the show and not get caught up in it. As an ensemble, we will support each other and take it day by day,” he says.

Columbinus is showing November 12-14 and 19-21 at Clark University, Little Center at 8 pm. Free with a college ID, $5 general admission.