2008 Woodie Awards
The Exonerated: reviewed
Laura Blythe-Goodman
Issue date: 11/4/05 Section: Features
- Page 1 of 2 next >
A husband is separated forever from his wife and children because his friend frames him for murdering two cops. A man accused of murdering his parents is tricked into giving a false confession. A young man is convicted of murder simply because he is black. A man is wrongfully accused of a woman's death despite evidence that the man from her failed affair had been in her apartment the night of her murder.
The Exonerated, written by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen, tells these and other stories chosen from interviews with "about 60 people who had been wrongly convicted, sentenced to death, and exonerated," according to the program. Each story is a powerful account of corruption in the criminal justice system and the suffering it inflicts on innocent people.
The cast portrayed the personal stories of the six exonerated people with honesty and emotion. The actors appeared to be caught up in what their characters were feeling.
"We had to get to that place where we could in some way relate to what these people had gone through. I would often leave a run of the story feeling so overwhelmed. The character you are playing begins to consume you and it is some times hard to let go," said actor Sean Finan.
Both the cast's dedication to the message of the play and acting abilities impressed director Katie Yow. "Everyone has known from the beginning what an important story we have to tell, so they worked really well as people and they all are very talented as artists," said Yow.
"Everyone has been so committed to the play, in telling the stories of these people honestly and sincerely and also in conveying the underlying message of this play - that there are major problems within our criminal justice system that need to be addressed," said production manager Tim Scales.
Scales, Yow, and Finan agree that the performance was meant to inspire the audience even after they left the theater.
"If you changed one person's mind or inspired one person to do something about the terrible injustice in this country, then it was all worth it," said Finan.
The Exonerated, written by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen, tells these and other stories chosen from interviews with "about 60 people who had been wrongly convicted, sentenced to death, and exonerated," according to the program. Each story is a powerful account of corruption in the criminal justice system and the suffering it inflicts on innocent people.
The cast portrayed the personal stories of the six exonerated people with honesty and emotion. The actors appeared to be caught up in what their characters were feeling.
"We had to get to that place where we could in some way relate to what these people had gone through. I would often leave a run of the story feeling so overwhelmed. The character you are playing begins to consume you and it is some times hard to let go," said actor Sean Finan.
Both the cast's dedication to the message of the play and acting abilities impressed director Katie Yow. "Everyone has known from the beginning what an important story we have to tell, so they worked really well as people and they all are very talented as artists," said Yow.
"Everyone has been so committed to the play, in telling the stories of these people honestly and sincerely and also in conveying the underlying message of this play - that there are major problems within our criminal justice system that need to be addressed," said production manager Tim Scales.
Scales, Yow, and Finan agree that the performance was meant to inspire the audience even after they left the theater.
"If you changed one person's mind or inspired one person to do something about the terrible injustice in this country, then it was all worth it," said Finan.
