A play depicting Bermuda's rising gun crime brought back the murder of Dekimo Martin for his foster mother.

Bernice Burt raised Dekimo, who was shot dead on May 28, from the time he was 12 to 15. Last weekend she attended the play 'Where Are You Dad?' put on by the Department of Corrections and Gina Spence Productions in Christ.

Five young men currently incarcerated in Co-Ed participated in the play along with South African Lillian Ramphele. She is currently serving time for heroin importation at The Farm and wrote the play.

The play focused on many social issues in Bermuda including teenage pregnancy, absent fathers, drugs and gun violence. The families of all young men murdered within the last few years were invited to the play.

For Mrs. Burt one of the final scenes, where Co-Educational Facility inmate Curtis Hawksworth was shot dead, made her relive the night Dekimo was murdered.

Dekimo lived with Mrs. Burt, her husband Leroy and son Javon, on and off from the time he was nine to 12. At 12 he moved in full time with the Burts and stayed there until he was 15.

He spent weekends playing football and cricket as well as attending church. His life was "very structured" she said.

At 15 he left Mrs. Burt's home, but the two stayed in regular contact.

"The play was surreal for me," She said. "I think it reflected a lot of his life. His father died when he was three or four and my husband was a good role model for him.

"We treated him like our son, I never called him my foster son. He was my son and I loved him unconditionally.

"I am still coming to terms with his death and the play really made me think of him."

Dekimo was shot numerous times last month on the doorstep of his family home in Sandys.

Home Affairs Minister David Burch watched the play on Sunday and said he is working with the Department of Corrections to bring it to a wider audience.

Mrs. Burt said she thought this was a good idea.

"I hope more people will see it and take the message seriously. I think the play really showed how some young men get involved in drugs and how it has consequences. You may get away with it for years but there are consequences.

"And I think it touched on a big issue, young men need a father figure to teach them how to treat women and how to lead their life, or just to tell them 'I love you'.

"I think it was an excellent play."

Director Gina Spence Farmer said the response has been great: "People are asking for us to bring it back by popular demand. They are also asking if it can be presented to all schools. "I was absolutely pleased and very proud of the final performance, having seen them go from nervous soft-spoken first time performers to very confident and well projected actors. I believe hearts were touched and lives were transformed during last nights performance!"

Commissioner of Corrections Edward Lamb actually played the role of a reformed absent father in the play and said he hoped the community got the right messages from the play.

"I was a bit reluctant at first to participate in the play when first asked to do so," he said. " My reluctance sprang from my not wanting to detract from the play or overshadow any of the trainees [young inmates at the Co-Ed].

"However, after thinking about it and meditating on it, I decided that, given a) that the Trainees are very dear to me, individually and collectively and that presence as a father figure would lend weight to the message and; b) that the messages in the story are very topical and poignant for today's society, I agreed to a small role in the play.

"Also, I accepted the notion that my appearing in the play would be a strong and tangible sign to the community of my commitment and determination to changing the lives of these young men at the Co-Ed."

On Saturday evening he told absent fathers it was time to get involved in their children's' lives and indulgent mothers it was time to stop saying 'not my son' and pay attention to the company their sons lead and lifestyle they engaged in.