All Pawtucket All The Time

Gripping Drama by Acclaimed British Playwright

PAWTUCKET, RI (December 23, 2009) – The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre (The Gamm) is pleased to stage the Rhode Island premiere of 4:48 Psychosis, a powerful, illuminating window into one woman’s struggle with clinical depression. Written by the late British playwright Sarah Kane, 4:48 Psychosis is a sometimes jolting and often moving depiction of a deeply troubled psyche, including dialogue between the central character, played by Gamm Resident Actor Casey Seymour Kim and her doctor, portrayed by Gamm regular Tom Gleadow.

Gamm Artistic Director Tony Estrella helms the production, which runs from January 14 through February 7 at The Gamm Theatre, 172 Exchange St., Pawtucket, RI. Tickets are $24-$40 with discounts for subscribers, groups of 10 or more, seniors and students. Call 401-723-4266 or buy online at gammtheatre.org.

Play Synopsis

From the brilliant, controversial and short-lived career of British playwright Sarah Kane (author of the acclaimed Blasted), who exploded onto the London scene at age 23, a harrowing journey into the depths of clinical depression. Named for the time in the early morning when Kane regularly awoke to a brief period of clarity amid her despair, 4:48 Psychosis is perhaps the most intimate exploration of mental illness ever to be staged. Captivatingly raw and poetic in its intensity, with flashes of dark humor, Kane’s fifth and final play is “as compact and beautiful as a diamond,” says Time Out (London).

“It’s the pleasure that comes from being compelled to follow an authentic and original voice into theatrical territory you have never visited before.”

- The New York Times, on Blasted

Estrella said he hopes audiences will be drawn in by Kane’s brutally honest, stripped-down script.

“It is a privilege to premiere Ms. Kane’s work for Rhode Island audiences. In a brilliant, too-short career, she pushed at the boundaries of the dramatically acceptable; and, in doing so, left the theater a richer, more complex and powerful art form,” he said.

The Gamm’s production of 4:48 Psychosis is co-sponsored by Butler Hospital and Gateway Healthcare, Inc. The pair of Rhode Island-based non-profit mental healthcare organizations will be joining Gamm artists in a series of post-show panel discussions during the run of the show. Details are forthcoming.

Representatives for Butler and Gateway expressed their support and hopes for the production.

“We commend The Gamm Theatre for bringing this production to the Rhode Island community in an effort to provide understanding about mental illness, thereby helping to reduce stigma and increase literacy. As the largest community behavioral healthcare provider in Rhode Island, serving over 18,000 individuals with mental illness each year, we see first hand the need for education and awareness,” said Richard Leclerc, President of Gateway Healthcare. 

Patricia R. Recupero, J.D., M.D., President and CEO of Butler Hospital added, “Depression affects approximately 14.8 million American adults each year. In co-sponsoring this play with Gateway Healthcare, we hope to help the community better understand how common this illness is, that it is caused by chemical imbalances in the brain, and that it is a treatable medical condition. As a major research and teaching hospital in Rhode Island, we’re honored to help The Gamm Theatre stage the play here, which will open an important dialogue with the community about mental illness.”