GIDION’S KNOT
by Johnna Adams,
directed by Amy Bistok
Over the course of a parent/teacher conference, a grieving mother and an emotionally overwhelmed primary school teacher have a fraught conversation about the tragic suicide of the mother’s son, Gidion.
Gidion may have been bullied severely—or he may have been an abuser. As his story is slowly uncovered, the women try to reconstruct a satisfying explanation for Gidion’s act and come to terms with excruciating feelings of culpability. Their discussion escalates into a clash of ideas and ideals including freedom of expression, the strictures of our school system, bullying, and personal responsibility. As the story reveals itself, the “truth” becomes increasingly alarming and difficult to distinguish.
When trying to untangle a knot this complicated, will we all unravel?