OKP in the Media

By Edith Zeldes
For the Journal Inquirer
Be prepared to have your emotions shaken, judgment tested, and character examined when you attend the Ellington High School Opening Knight Players’ production of “Dead Man Walking,” being performed Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 6, 7, and 8, in the school’s Gordon C. Getchell Auditorium at 7:30 p.m.
Heading this premier Connecticut public school showing is William Prenetta, director and advisor, English theater teacher, and curriculum team leader of the school’s English Department.
“I’m always looking for a piece of theater that will create a discourse, Prenetta says. “I try to do this as often as possible, but hadn’t found anything since we did ‘The Laramie Project,’ a few years ago.
“This show will lead not only to a discussion of forgiveness, but also about the death penalty. From my theater teaching perspective, it’s a wonderful play that offers the chance to create ideal believable and challenging characterizations with an opportunity for so many avenues to learn about humanity.
“It’s a tremendously powerful, based-on-fact, story about Sister Helen Prejean, a nun who became the spiritual advisor for the convicted rapist and murderer on Death Row, Matthew Poncelet. I do ministering for my church and was at a ministerial conference when I met Sister Prejean. She became well known for trying to prevent Poncelet’s execution, but finally had to walk with him to the electric chair, which led her to write the book, ‘Dead Man Walking: an Eye Witness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States,’
“The play is raw and intense, emotional, very intimate, and covers the progress toward redemption of Poncelet as well as the growth of Sister Prejean as the result of her work with him. I happened to be looking at her book, and at that moment, it hit me that this was the right show to do now,” Prenetta says.
Sister Prejeans’ story was first told as a movie starring Susan Sarandon, who won an Oscar as the nun, with Sean Penn as the convict. Tim Robbins directed the movie and then wrote the play. Both he and Sarandon created the stage school project to encourage the play to be performed and bring about discussion on this emotional topic – showing both sides, the inmate’s and the victim’s family.
Playing Sister Prejean is sophomore Kady Joy.
“This role is one of the most difficult parts I’ve ever had. She’s a strong character and is at the crossroads of whether execution is good or not, while she’s also trying to find herself, never having worked with a prisoner before,” Joy says.
“The Sister is amazing. She knows who she is, even though she’s trying to find out more about herself and her beliefs having to do with execution and forgiveness. She came from a simple place in a convent and now finds herself thrust into making these difficult choices for the first time,” Joy says.
Ian Burke, a senior, plays Poncelet.
“He’s essentially a bit of a vagrant and drunkard, in a Louisiana prison,” Burke says. “When I first tried to understand him, I realized he’s not necessarily strong, but carries himself with a physicality of one much larger than he. I adopted his southern accent and his vulgar and sexual speech.
“I’m working on his emotional and mental state. His father died when he was 15, which had a profound effect on his outlook on life. He doesn’t want to be seen as a victim. He’s overtly racist, but in actuality, really has no ill will toward blacks and respects Martin Luther King Jr.
“He’s difficult to portray. To do my best, I have to completely empathize with him and it’s a struggle to get into his private rage. I have not only to personalize his position, but also feel sorry for him. The question I find myself asking, is ‘How does one empathize with a killer?’ Poncelet is not at all what he seems – good or bad,” says Burke.
President of the Opening Knight Players, Alayna Graziani, says, “I feel the play is an eye-opener for many students, because they don’t know what goes on in difficult court cases – not only from a judicial point of view, but also dealing with the emotions of the victim’s family. It’s hard to comprehend the grief and pain of the mother of the daughter who was killed. It’s a thought-provoking story that is presented to the public as an issue that needs to be discussed.”
Admission is $8 and tickets can be purchased at the door. The show is not appropriate for children under 15. For more information, call 860-896-2352.
There will also be classroom workshops on the death penalty subject, as well as open forum TalkBacks with the cast and crew after each performance, for anyone interested in attending – with Prenetta as moderator, asking “How does the idea of forgiveness assist the characters in the play. He says, “That’s the powerful concept I want the players to have.”
One week after the performances, on Wednesday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m., there will be a forum on the death penalty. The public is invited, free of charge.