It seems inevitable that sometime during our childhood we are unjustly accused of an infraction of the rules. The result was probably a bit traumatic, but we survived. Take a mega leap in complexity: think of being accused of a capital crime punishable by death. You are innocent but can't convince anybody, and you end up on death row. The Exonerated is the true story of five men and one woman of just such a case.
Lynx Performance Theater stages this dramatic, heart-wrenching story in a stark black box with three mini-risers in front of the audience and three high risers behind the audience. Four men and one woman representing the mis-convicted, and three women representing the wives of three of the men are before us. There is one empty chair. Behind us are three men portraying the various authorities and witnesses that help put the six on death row. The audience is seated on uncomfortable folding chairs for the 90-minute performance. This seating adds, not detracts, from the recalled events before us. We are uncomfortable, and we are meant to be.
You may even recall some of the stories. A Northwest University project saved one from death. A convicted felon's confession saved the woman, but not her husband, whose gruesome electrocution made headlines across the nation. Skin color played a part in a couple of the stories. The details of a young, naive man's experiences in the big house are haunting. The relevancy of The Exonerated echoes in today's headlines of a man wrongly accused who has just been released after twenty years. The Governor of Illinois suspended the death penalty while cases were reassessed.
The stark staging of this production cuts to the core of each personal drama. This ensemble cast send goose bumps up the spine as they dramatically relate their tales. We learn each's story in bits and pieces -- the frustration, the fears, the personal tragedies. Each of the cast playing the convicted brings a special personality to their character. The women playing the wives make us understand the feelings of a spouse.
Behind the audience on the three high risers sit three men the audience can easily come to hate. They depict, for the most part, the men that helped convict those on death row. Some are members of law enforcement. Some are sincerely convinced of their guilt, others let their prejudices convince them that they are guilty, and some have given false testimony.
Did I like the play? No, because it hurt so bad to see injustice so easily dealt out. Did I like the production? Yes; the director and cast have done an excellent job. The staging is simple, the lighting is simple, the sound is simple. I hope you have the opportunity to experience this production.
