Gamm Stages The New England Premiere Of A HUMAN BEING DIED THAT NIGHT

The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre (The Gamm) announces the New England premiere of A Human Being Died That Night. The play by Nicholas Wright is based on the book by Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, a black female psychologist who served on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in post-apartheid South Africa. Judith Swift (The Nether, Grounded) directs this searing true story about the levels of forgiveness required for a society to move on from deplorable acts of violence. This one-act play in which Gobodo-Madikizela, played by Gamm newcomer Kortney Adams, interviews notorious apartheid assassin Eugene de Kock, played by Gamm Resident Actor Jim O'Brien, promises to grip, challenge, and surprise audiences.

A Human Being Died That Night runs from March 8-April 1 at The Gamm Theatre, 172 Exchange St., Pawtucket, RI. Tickets are $44, $52 and $60; preview performances (March 8-11) are $33. Call 401-723-4266 or order online at gammtheatre.org.

"A Human Being Died that Night dares to suggest that redemption for the individual and society is possible even in the wake of the most serious crimes against humanity, and that civilization can rise again from the ashes of savagery," said Gamm Artistic Director Tony Estrella. "It is a story of hope in dark times, reminding us that grace and decency are fundamental to a functioning society and that we ignore them at our peril. Though set on another continent almost a generation ago, A Human Being Died that Night is a powerful allegory for America today. "

Eugene de Kock, known as "Prime Evil," is a white policeman serving two life sentences plus 212 years for the torture and murder of anti-apartheid activists. His interrogator, a black female psychologist who served on South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, has returned to prison on a personal mission to discern man from state-sanctioned monster. In a harrowing exchange, prisoner and interrogator negotiate a space where fear and compassion co-exist. Wright's unflinching 80-minute script--distilled from Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela's best-selling book--is a deeply human story about accountability, remorse, and the complex nature of forgiveness. "This is not just two people. It is the old South Africa and the new South Africa. It is a test of them both, and of the limits--or not--of forgiveness and empathy."

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