The musical in Lancaster, 10 years after the tragedy at the Amish school, will debut in Philadelphia next month | Entertainment

Next month, the Philly Musical Theater will host the premiere of a new musical based on filming at the Amish School in the 2006 Nickel Mines and the themes of “forgiveness, joy and moving forward.”

The action of the film “Boundless”, written by theater artist Mary Fishburne, takes place in Lancaster County 10 years after filming.

It tells the stories of fictional characters Willie King, an Amish teenager who recently began his journey in Ramspring, and Sophia Robbins, the daughter of the man who shot her sister, and the unlikely friendship that emerged at a time when the community was handling the tragedy.

“The story takes place 10 years after this event, as those who survived still feel forgiveness, joy and moving forward,” Fishburn said in a press release. “The power of this topic is most strongly expressed by young voices. The story is cautious about optimism, but passionate about hope. He is timid about certainty but unwavering about the Inquisition. He remembers courage, but insists on resilience.

Students of the Philly Musical Theater program with children of grades 5-12 take part in the production.

On Saturday, May 21, “Boundless” will feature just two performances at The Arts Bank at 601 S. Broad St., Philadelphia. Tickets for the show, which begins at 2 and 7 p.m., cost $ 15.

More information can be found at lanc.news/Boundless.

In October 2006, Charles Carl Roberts IV went to West Nickel Mines School in Barth, took a group of Amish girls hostage and shot several, killing five children before killing himself. The story, including the public apology of an armed man by the Amish community, has become nationwide news.

“Boundless” is not the only production inspired by a sense of community that emerged after the shooting in nickel mines.

Jessica Dickey’s “Amish Project” also explores similar issues of forgiveness and sympathy from the Amish community after the shooting. The Euphrates Center for the Performing Arts staged the play in 2011.

Another musical based on the events surrounding the filming of Nickel Mines includes “Nickel Mines” by Shannon Stoke and Andrew Palermo. He made his debut at A Contemporary Theater of Connecticut in 2022.