Law Professor Ellen Kreitzberg and Santa Clara University’s School of Law in collaboration with the SCU Center of Performing Arts –Department of Theatre and Dance and Professor Barbara Fraser are proud to present the stage play “Dead Man Walking”. Performances are Friday, February 11 at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday & Sunday, February 12 and 13 at 2:00and 7:00 p.m. All performances are in the Fess Parker Studio Theatre at Santa Clara University. Each performance will be followed by “talk backs” providing the audiences with an opportunity to discuss the issues surrounding the death penalty.
The play, by Tim Robbins, is based upon the book by Sister Helen Prejean. The book was on the New York Times best selling list for 31 weeks and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. In 1981 Sister Helen worked at the St. Thomas Housing Project with poor inner-city residents and began counseling death row inmates at Louisiana State Penitentiary and continues this ministry today. She has accompanied five men to their death by execution. She also works with murder victims’ families and founded a group in New Orleans called Survive, and is an honorary member of Murder Victims for Reconciliation.
Sister Helen will be attending the 7:00 p.m. performance on Sunday, February 13 and discussing her new book, “Death of Innocents”. Sister Helen will also be attending a “pre-play” reception at 6:00 p.m. Sunday in the lobby of the Mayer Theatre.
In addition to Sister Helen, other guests with intimate connections to the death penalty will be speaking at certain performances. Former death row inmate, Billy Moore, now a minister in the state of Georgia, will be present at the first four performances. Billy was on Georgia’s death row for 16 years and was twenty hours away from the electric chair on August 21, 1990 when the parole board commuted his sentence to life in prison. Ultimately, he was paroled and released into the community. Billy’s story is one about forgiveness, redemption and mercy – and how one man can journey from near execution to ministering to others in society. He tells his story with honesty and emotion that changes the way the audience looks at persons who commit crimes.
At both the Friday night performance and Saturday matinee, victim outreach specialist Tammy Krause will be one of the speakers. Tammy has worked with victims families in numerous death penalty cases including the Oklahoma City bombings and the Yosemite killings. She can relate the pain and conflict that family members feel in the face of these tragedies and the journey many of them take from anger to forgiveness.
Additionally, Joy Sojoodi from Murder Victims Families for Reconciliation will be a featured speaker at the 7:00 p.m. performances on Friday and Saturday. Joy is a local resident who tragically lost both of her parents in a senseless murder over 10 years ago. Over times she has thought about the death penalty and its use in today’s society and has come to reject its use. The tragedy of her loss makes her story and insights all the more powerful.
-For tickets call the Mayer Theatre at 408-554-4015 (Tues – Fri 2-6 P.M.) or go to the box office in person.
Prices: Gen Admission $12.00
Seniors: $10.00
Santa Clara Students $5.00
Faculty and Staff $10.00
The theatre only has 86 seats so act quickly to insure seating.
