Real life, demand for justice found in ‘Dead Man Walking’

Vanessa Torline is a freshman majoring in English.

“I ain’t no victim!” yelled Matthew Poncelet in the second act of “Dead Man Walking,” a discussion-provoking drama that opened at the Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center on Oct. 10.

The question of who is or isn’t a victim pervades Tim Robbins’ stage adaptation of Sister Helen Prejean’s book, a true account of her time spent alongside death row convict Matthew Poncelet.

Themes of equality, justice and faith intermingle, requiring rapt attention from the audience to discern the show’s overall message.

But Sister Helen makes her main message abundantly clear. As both the protagonist and narrator, she guides the audience through a scrambled study of a man facing his execution for the murder and rape of a teenage couple in 1980 Louisiana, all the while stressing the importance of understanding. 

IU’s production is not clogged with any pretense; this is a gritty story that comes down to beliefs and morals. The story deals with anger and fear, making it relatable to anyone, regardless of personal experience with the subject of capital punishment. The script itself is close to flawless.

Lilia Vassileva as Sister Helen, prone to confused expressions and indignant tirades á la Sally Field, leads a spot-on cast. Henry A. McDaniel III’s portrayal of Matthew Poncelet is bitterly funny, touching and worth the ticket price all by itself.

Jared Rutherford’s rigid scenic designs set off the show. From beginning to end, the chain link fences and iron bars of a security ward in Angola State Prison serve as a reminder of the ubiquitous presence of a death row in everyone’s life. His work is further realized in the lighting by Liz Replogle, whose designs make the height of the work truly climactic.

Beyond that crowning scene, in which the demand for justice and the plead for sympathy culminates in a march of execution witnesses, it is understood that everyone is a victim.

At some point, reality preys upon each life and leaves casualties behind. This play teaches that the ability to get past that point is what keeps us alive.
“Dead Man Walking” is a worthy opener to IU’s 75th theater season and a relevant call for compassion in a world so often at odds.