LONDON - 29 November 2007 - 230 words
Hollywood actor chooses Catholic schools for UK premier
Hollywood actor Tim Robbins has given Catholic schools in the North-East the first glimpse of his stage play, 'Dead Man Walking\.
Written in 2004, the play "Dead Man Walking" is based on the Oscar-winning film and book by Sister Helen Prejean. It has never been performed outside the United States. However, Robbins was persuaded by London-based Catholic theatre company Ten Ten Theatre to grant special permission for performances of the play in schools following the Sister Helen Prejean Conference at Newcastle City Hall in November.
Ten Ten visited schools throughout the North-East with an interactive workshop-style performance, engaging students in debate and discussion around issues of the death penalty, ethics, human rights and faith. Maria, aged 16 from St Anthony's Girls' School in Sunderland, said: "The story was saying that to know and admit your sins will "set you free". The performances were great so intense, great emotion and atmosphere."
The actress playing Sister Helen Prejean, Margaret Tully, was delighted to meet and perform to the real Sister Helen at the Conference. The professional actress and the politically-active nun spent a great deal of time in conversation talking about the role, and Margaret said her outlook on the character fundamentally changed after the chat.
Artistic Director of Ten Ten Theatre, Martin O'Brien, said: "It was a great privilege working on Tim Robbins' script. Although based on Sister Helen's book, the play's central character of Matt Poncelet is a composite of two real-life men. It has been a tough but enjoyable process getting to the heart of the story over such a short time".
Sister Helen asked Ten Ten about the possibility
of reviving the project for another visit she is making to the
UK next year, and they are currently exploring funding opportunities.
In the meantime, whilst Sister Helen travelled to Dublin for
the European premiere of "Dead Man Walking the Opera"
and Ten Ten Theatre went straight into production on their next
project, a national tour of "Babies" and "Chased"
in secondary schools throughout the UK (www.tententheatre.co.uk)
© Independent Catholic
News 2007
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