Atlanta Opera Stages Story of Mercy, Capital Punishment With ‘Dead Man Walking’

Georgia-born mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton, left, is playing Sister Helen, center, in the Atlanta production of “Dead Man Walking,” a true account by Sister Helen Prejean about her time counseling a death row inmate.

Summer Evans / WABE

Can we forgive the unforgivable?

That question is central to the story of “Dead Man Walking,” a true account by Sister Helen Prejean about her time counseling a death row inmate. You may recognize the title from the 1995 film adaptation starring Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon.

The Atlanta Opera is putting the story onstage.