The Warriors for Newtown to benefit Sandy Hook at Victory Gardens

Sarah Gitenstein, Michael Peters and Mary Hollis Inboden in the New Colony's production of The Warriors

Photo: Anne Petersen

Victory Gardens Theater will present a one-night reading of The Warriors, conceived by Mary Hollis Inboden, as a benefit for the Sandy Hook School Support Fund on January 6. Inboden, a survivor of the 1998 school shooting at Jonesboro, Arkansas's Westside Middle School, created the documentary-style play with the New Colony, where it debuted in 2011.

"With this national tragedy, I can’t help but think back to March of 1998, when at 12 years old my best friend Paige and four others were shot and killed on our school playground just feet in front of me," Inboden said of last week's shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, in a statement announcing the benefit. "Talking about my own experience as a survivor in the immediate aftermath of this fresh incident feels inappropriate. Our focus should be completely on the children and families of Newtown. And yet, like all of us, I want to be able to contribute something to the healing process."

The Warriors for Newtown will feature Inboden, Will Allan, Cora Vander Broek, Matthew Brumlow, Cliff Chamberlain and Kristina Valada-Viars, and will be directed by Kimberly Senior. Tickets for the 7:30pm performance are $15 and are available at the Victory Gardens box office (773-871-3000, victorygardens.org/thewarriors). The theater encourages those who can't attend to donate to the Sandy Hook fund directly at newtown.uwwesternct.org.