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Dead Man Walking Play Project News Summary

From: Miles Eddy
Length: 00:05:57

Dead Man Walking Play Project engages local community about the death penalty while Broadway version is written. Sister Helen Prejean attends opening night in Alamosa, Colorado. News summary and reactions of the cast, crew, and participants of this weeklong event. Also available as series and half-hour show at http://www.prx.org/pieces/11438. Read the full description.

Deadmanwalkingposterkathyparkcropweb_small The Dead Man Walking Play Project was designed by Sister Helen Prejean (who wrote the book) and Tim Robbins (who adapted the movie and play) to "widen the circle of public discourse on the death penalty and to get young people involved through theater and the arts." What they learn from these community productions will be used to produce the definitive Broadway version of the play. Sister Prejean attended the opening night performance of the play (April 21st, 2006) put on by Adams State College (ASC) in Alamosa, where a week of activities (art show, debate, symposium, etc.) engaged students and community members. Sister Prejean was excited about the response, she told Tim Robbins saying, "This was the dream! They're doing it!? No other community has participated in the play project as fully as Alamosa. This news summary covers the impact of the project in rural Alamosa, Colorado on the play?s cast and crew, as well as reactions from community members affected by current death row murders. Full coverage is available soon as a half-hour show (28:30) at http://www.prx.org/pieces/11438. Original Art by Kathy Park, Jaroso, Colorado. EXCERPTS LEAD ACTRESS PLAYING SISTER PREJEAN: "Those were real tears, absolutely! It?s incredible to see her out there and to get to know her and to know the woman that I am play and know that this is a real person? and real conflict and a real life." SISTER PREJEAN REACTION DURING INTERMISSION: "For me to see it? I remember those people, I remember those words, I remember that very scene." RELATIVE OF MURDER VICTIM: "It's one thing to say the words that you forgive somebody? [it's been since] meeting sister Helen Prejean that I can fully say that, or feel that I have forgiven Nathan Dunlap for the murders that he has caused and I don't want him to be on death row."

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Piece Description

The Dead Man Walking Play Project was designed by Sister Helen Prejean (who wrote the book) and Tim Robbins (who adapted the movie and play) to "widen the circle of public discourse on the death penalty and to get young people involved through theater and the arts." What they learn from these community productions will be used to produce the definitive Broadway version of the play. Sister Prejean attended the opening night performance of the play (April 21st, 2006) put on by Adams State College (ASC) in Alamosa, where a week of activities (art show, debate, symposium, etc.) engaged students and community members. Sister Prejean was excited about the response, she told Tim Robbins saying, "This was the dream! They're doing it!? No other community has participated in the play project as fully as Alamosa. This news summary covers the impact of the project in rural Alamosa, Colorado on the play?s cast and crew, as well as reactions from community members affected by current death row murders. Full coverage is available soon as a half-hour show (28:30) at http://www.prx.org/pieces/11438. Original Art by Kathy Park, Jaroso, Colorado. EXCERPTS LEAD ACTRESS PLAYING SISTER PREJEAN: "Those were real tears, absolutely! It?s incredible to see her out there and to get to know her and to know the woman that I am play and know that this is a real person? and real conflict and a real life." SISTER PREJEAN REACTION DURING INTERMISSION: "For me to see it? I remember those people, I remember those words, I remember that very scene." RELATIVE OF MURDER VICTIM: "It's one thing to say the words that you forgive somebody? [it's been since] meeting sister Helen Prejean that I can fully say that, or feel that I have forgiven Nathan Dunlap for the murders that he has caused and I don't want him to be on death row."

Broadcast History

Longer version aired May 2006, KRZA 88.7 Alamosa/Taos

Transcript

NARRATOR
In 1982, Sister Helen Prejean was the Spiritual Advisor of two people put to death in Louisiana. She wrote a book about it, had it adapted into a major motion picture by Tim Robbins, and now it is being performed as a play by amateur actors around the country designed to engage communities in a discussion about capital punishment.

Last April, Sister Prejean attended Adams State College's opening performance of the play Dead Man Walking in rural southern Colorado.

SISTER PREJEAN
I was so excited today I called Tim Robbins. I said "Tim, this was the dream, hear in Alamosa, they're doing it!"

NARRATOR
Art shows, symposiums, movies, debates, and national speakers filled a week full of thought provoking activities. Sister Maureen Fenlon is the national coordinator of the play project.

SISTER FENLON
It's exactly what Tim Robbins wanted to see happen when he released...
Read the full transcript

Timing and Cues

HOST INTRO (Optional)
Most people think the death penalty doesn?t affect them. But according to Sister Helen Prejean, author of the book Dead Man Walking, everyone from the relatives of both perpetrators and victims to those who implement lethal injection suffer. The Dead Man Walking Play Project is designed to generate discussion and awareness about this issue at the community level. Independent producer Miles Eddy covered a week of activities last April in Alamosa, Colorado during Adams State College?s production of the play.

Related Website

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