ROOM 1214

Ashland New Plays Festival 2023 Finalist

On Valentine’s Day, 2018, a nineteen-year-old boy walked into his former high school armed with an assault rifle - the bullets were etched with swastikas. He killed fourteen students, three teachers, and injured seventeen more. Some of the worst damage was done when he shot, seemingly indiscriminately, into a Holocaust history class. Room 1214 is based on interviews with Ivy Shamis, the teacher who taught the class and was in the room that fateful day. The play imagines what would happen if Ivy had one more chance to teach in that classroom, and her students got a final say. It begs the question, Can a history teacher rewrite history?

“Theater has the power to ignite empathy, challenge complacency, and expose the harsh realities of our world. When it comes to the horrors of gun violence, a play like Room 1214 can be a potent vehicle for social change, bringing to light the urgent need for reform and inspiring audiences to take action.”
- Po Murray, Chairwoman, Newtown Action Alliance