Gidion's Knot by Johnna Adams, Featuring Eva Laporte and Catherine Babbitt

During a parent–teacher conference that spirals far beyond schoolwork, a grieving mother and a shaken elementary school teacher confront the devastating fallout of a student’s death. As they dig into Gidion’s final days, a painful truth emerges: he might have been the target of cruelty—or the one inflicting it. In real time, the two women wrestle with competing narratives, buried wounds, and the impossible need to make sense of the senseless. The result* is a raw, unsettling collision of grief, culpability, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive the unthinkable.

*True to Surround Project's mission, the event will include guided contextual activities and conversation before and after the play. All activities are optional, low-stakes, and driven by Surround's values of compassion, relationships, resilience, and risk.

PLAY DATE PRODUCERS | Bonnie Reed & Stu Schlossberg

“…resonant…[a] particularly eloquent study of people caught between the competing demands of reason, morality and family…harrowing…a narrative that is as elegant as it is chilling.” —Washington Post.

“…heart-stopping…the show has pathos and suspense in bucketloads…Within a lean 80 minutes, the show raises profound questions about parenting and education and documents the gut-wrenching force of maternal loyalty.” —Washingtonian.

“GIDION’S KNOT is as sad as life itself, and as funny and startling as well…a beautiful, disturbing story.” —DC TheatreScene

For Adults 18+
Content note for those who need it: This play addresses death by suicide, grief, bullying, and gun violence in schools. Surround Project facilitators and resources will be present. Please take care.

ACCESSIBILITY

• Dual ASL Interpretation provided by Stage Hands
• Wheelchair accessible lot, seating, restroom
• Free parking
• Accessible parking