United States Theatre Project

Just the Facts

columbinus is based on true events and inspired by actual people, writings and records. The play's journey begins inside a fictional high school -- any high school -- and ends with the factual events of April 20, 1999. Though the journey begins in a fictional world, virtually every inch of the script has been based on fact. The six characters other than Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris -- the two gunmen -- are based on interviews, conversations and observations on the teenagers members of the United States Theatre Project met in high schools across the country.

The following headings correspond to scenes in columbinus and highlight their factual origins.

Cafeteria

At Columbine High School, jocks were notorious for throwing ketchup packets. Eric and Dylan were the targets of this abuse on several occasions.
The school's motto is: "Through these halls pass the finest kids in America."

Drama

Dylan ran sound for several shows as part of Columbine's Drama program.

Creative Writing

Dylan's actual essay (and the teacher's comments) are quoted verbatim.
Eric and Dylan were both known to speak German in the hallways. At the bowling lanes they were known to yell "Heil Hitler" when they rolled strikes. Their favorite bands were Rammstein and KMFDM.

Guidance Part II

Eric played soccer and applied to the Marines.
Eric's tirade to the guidance counselor is taken from his journal entries.

Physical Education

Eric suffered from a chest deformity for which he had surgery and was left scarred.
The exchange in the locker room is based on an encounter noted by a fellow Columbine junior.
Eric was on the anti-depressant Luvox.

History Lesson

Eric's journal writings featured prominently in this section. All of his proclamations of "I hate..." are quoted verbatim from his website.
Eric had a fascination with Natural Selection (the words "Natural Selection" were on the white T-shirt he wore the day of the shooting) and with Nietzsche's uberman philosophy. Eric and Dylan were both professed admirers of Hitler (the massacre occurred on Hitler's birthday, April 20).
Eric was a fan of violent video games, especially Doom.

Work

Eric and Dylan worked at Blackjack Pizza. The manager had knowledge of Eric's fascination with explosives. Eric was reprimanded for bringing a pipe bomb to work. His coworkers also recount incidents in which he would set off dry-ice bombs in the parking lot.
Instructions for making bombs were posted on Eric's website.
Eric's tirade is taken verbatim from his journal.
Eric asked several girls to the prom including one girl who worked at a salon near Blackjack Pizza. She did not go to the prom with him.

I.M. (Instant Message)

Eric and Dylan often communicated mischief through I.M. including an incident where they hacked into the school's computers. They were expelled for three days.
Dylan's creative writing teacher spoke with Klebold's parents at a parent-teacher conference, as well as his guidance counselor. The counselor spoke with Dylan, who assured him it would be okay. "It was just a story," he said.

Mischief

Eric named himself "REB" (a short form for "Rebel"), and Dylan adopted the pseudonym "voDKa" (vodka was one of his favorite drinks, and the "DK" in the middle stood for "Dylan Klebold").
The Columbine High School mascot was a rebel-a colonial soldier with a gun.
In their junior year, Eric and Dylan went on "rebel missions" in which they would vandalize property using everything from spray paint and superglue to BB guns and eggs.
Eric and Dylan had a history of naming guns. The gun that they used in the shooting was named Arlene.
Eric and Dylan were arrested for breaking into a van and stealing electronic equipment. They were charged with first degree criminal trespassing, theft and criminal mischief and sentenced to a year in the juvenile diversion program. The judge's verdict is verbatim.

Dinner

Eric and Dylan were grounded for two months for the van break-in.

Juvenile Diversion

The juvenile diversion scene is taken verbatim from the juvenile diversion records.
Eric and Dylan had to meet with a juvenile diversion counselor twice a month for a
year, attend classes in anger management and time management, and complete 45
hours of community service. They also had to pay hefty fines, which meant working all
summer to earn extra money.
In a journal entry almost a year before the shootings, Eric began to develop his plan
for the shootings.
After paying their fines, the money they earned at Blackjack Pizza went to purchasing guns.
Both Eric and Dylan had early termination from the program.

The Basement Tapes

Much of the dialogue from "The Basement Tapes" is taken from videos Eric and Dylan shot in their basement in the months before the shooting as well as from journal entries and web postings. Days before the shooting, the Marines rejected Eric's application because he was taking Luvox.
Dylan went to the prom with his friend Robyn Anderson who was responsible for buying one of their guns.
Eric kept the arsenal for the shootings in his bedroom-in his closet, under the bed and
in secret cupboards. Eric gives a tour of his room in one of the videos showing all of the ammunition and weapons.
All of the text from the end of "The Basement Tapes " to the end of the play are taken from spoken interviews and police archives.

Goodbye

The dialogue in the goodbye video is taken verbatim.