Jessica Blank and Eric Jenson’s The Exonerated, based on interviews with exonerated former death-row inmates, opens this weekend at the WestCo Café.
This extraordinary script exposes the inequalities of the American justice system, working through a theatrical model pioneered by Anna Deavere Smith, of Fires in the Mirror fame, creating a script through real-life interviews.
“This type of theater isn’t convoluted with literary virtue,” said Director Anthony Nikolchev ’08 as he and the cast set up for an evening’s rehearsal. “It’s more harsh and real.”
The Exonerated portrays five characters based on men and women convicted of different crimes, each of whom carry a death-row sentence until eventually exonerated. The piece carries an anti-death penalty message: If these few death row inmates were exonerated, chances are that many other men and women are wrongfully convicted and executed, an irreversible sentence. The show examines these controversial issues through real-life characters which reveal many different perspectives. Greg Malen ’07 plays a variety of roles, including a sheriff who watched the murder of his partner.
“It’s hard to portray this character, because many of his views are extremely racist, which I obviously don’t agree with,” Malen explained. “But this guy watched someone kill his partner; he thinks everything he’s doing is right. This is a challenging role with an interesting perspective.”
Nikcolchev directed two small pieces outside of Wesleyan before deciding to undertake this project, but he believes the structure of The Exonerated lends itself to a less experienced director.
“I’ve never seen this show,” Nikcolchev said. “I actually originally looked at it because I needed a monologue for auditions as an actor. I decided that it would be the best play for me to direct as my first project at Wesleyan because it’s based mostly on monologues without a lot of complicated blocking.” When asked about the directing process, he added, “I take inspiration from the theater as an actor, because as an actor, [I’m] around many different types of directors. It’s a collaborative environment, so I learned from observation.”
When asked about his own views on the death penalty, Nikcolchev mentioned the inherent irreversibility of the issue, as well as the racism of the justice system.
“A death row conviction costs two times as much as someone on a life sentence,” he said, citing the appeal process as well as the actual execution as a possible cause for the expense.
While Nikcolchev originally chose the ’92 Theater as his first choice for a performance space, he now thinks the WestCo Café actually adds more to the piece. “The more intimate space enhances the stories,” he explained, as he covered the walls with brown paper, a tactic he hopes adds to an atmosphere “devoid of life,” like the inside of a cell or courtroom.
When portraying their characters, actors constantly question the reality of their actions onstage. Since the actors in The Exonerated play actual people, they face an even more daunting task. Ari Briand ’06 plays Kerry Max Cook in the show, a once-convicted man facing a death-row sentence who now tours as a public speaker. Excitingly, Wesleyan scheduled Mr. Cook to speak at the Memorial Chapel this Saturday a few hours before the evening’s performance. Though Mr. Cook has seen the show before, Briand expressed some nervousness about him watching the performance.
“It’s scary that it’s someone real, but I’d love to hear his feedback on the show,” Briand said. “He has a website (www.kerrymaxcook.com) which I used in researching my character. I’m not sure if that helped though, because now when I’m onstage, I picture his face when I should be worrying about my personal portrayal of him. But, I’m really excited to hear him speak,” he added.
The Exonerated promises a compelling and controversial night of theater from a well-spoken director and promising actors who I hope continue to bring Wesleyan different and important productions like this weekend’s piece.
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