Production History

The Library was CST’s final completed in-person mainstage production before the COVID-19 shutdown. Burns’ drama follows Caitlin Gabriel, a teenager who survives a school shooting but faces accusations about her actions during the attack. As competing accounts circulate, she struggles to make herself heard by her family, investigators and community. The play examines grief, rumor and the pressure to accept reassuring narratives over difficult truths. In a contemporary interview, Terry Veal emphasized the experiences of survivors and bereaved families. Rhonda Clark discussed the damage caused by rumors and premature judgments. The production did not depict the shooting or use guns onstage. CST announced 10 a.m. educational matinees on February 28 and March 6, with follow-up school workshops. The production formed part of CST’s high-school outreach program, including post-performance discussions and opportunities for school workshops. CST rated the production PG-13. okgazette.com

CST Connections

Terry Veal previously directed The Glass Menagerie (2002), The Last Night of Ballyhoo (2006) and The Left Hand Singing (2009).
Roger Oxford stage-managed The Left Hand Singing and performed in The Graduate (2006).
Ben Hall, Jay C. Schardt and Rhonda Clark also contributed design work to the Season 36 opener, The Legend of Georgia McBride.
CST subsequently continued presenting work through its CST LiveOnline! series, including Sorry, Wrong Number in October 2020.

Press and Photography

Oklahoma Gazette, February 19, 2020: “Survivors’ Guilt” by Jeremy Martin — a preview featuring interviews with Veal and Clark, rather than a production review.
The Oklahoman, February 22, 2020: Opening-weekend feature by Brandy McDonnell.
The Oklahoman, February 27, 2020: “Challenging Play About School Shooting Is Recommended” — contemporary review.

Acknowledgments

Opening-Night Party Sponsors — Glen and Jennifer Veal
Ticket Sponsors — Michael Cassidy; Ron and Alyce Page
Season Sponsors — Ed and Janet Bucknell; Mel and Cindy Ables

Institutional support: Oklahoma Arts Council; National Endowment for the Arts; Allied Arts; Kirkpatrick Family Fund; Inasmuch Foundation.

Licensing

Current performance licensing is available through Concord Theatricals, a Dramatists Play Service title.

THEATRE UP CLOSE & PERSONAL

Denise Hughes