Theatre and activism collide in the new documentary short Awakening: After Parkland, out July 2.

It came as no surprise to lovers of theatre that the articulate and compassionate student activists in Parkland, Florida, were also theatre kids. It just so happened local teens—including six students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School—were rehearsing for a community production of Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater’s Tony-winning musical Spring Awakening before a mass shooting took the lives of 17 people at the school February 14.

As the survivors returned to class week later, the young performers decided they needed their production of Spring Awakening at the Boca Black Box Center for the Arts “more than ever.” A show about adolescents finding who they are—rebelling against the failings of the adult world—resonated differently than before.

Award-winning filmmakers Cristina Costantini and Darren Foster teamed up for Awakening: After Parkland, to spotlight the strength of these students and the significance of the message of the musical. The documentary features interviews with students, teachers, as well as Sheik and Sater.

The film is available for viewing beginning July 2 on Topic.com.