FV Theatre tackles wrongful incarceration with "The Exonerated"

 Photos courtesy of  FV Theatre

Betzler directs thought provoking play "The Exonerated"

by Tiffany Joiner of the Forum


      To kick off the theater season, Daniel Betzler, along with an incredibly talented group of actors and crew, tackled The Exonerated! In this classic play, written by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen, we meet six people who were found guilty of crimes they did not commit, and left to spend their days on death row. It could have been any of us in their place, which makes their stories all the more gut wrenching. 
      In 2000, playwrights Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen interviewed 20 death-row inmates, then took six of their stories into first-person accounts. The play consists of authentic interviews, court transcripts, and letters. The stories show how little it takes to produce a wrongful conviction in America: race, police interrogation techniques, must-win prosecutors, poverty, accident and investigative incompetence all play a role in what could be the end of someone's life.

                                                                                  
 

      Sonia "Sunny" Jacobs (Jan Mantovani) and her husband were convicted of killing two highway patrolmen. The actual killer retracted his false testimony a few years later, but Sunny's case wasn't reopened for another 13 years, leaving her in prison.
       Eighteen-year-old David Keaton (Terriaun Johnson) was nowhere near the store where a man was killed, but he was found guilty of the crime. 
      The evidence against Robert Earl Hayes (Tylan Michell) and Delbert Tibbs (Sherard Curry) amounted to the fact that they were black.
       An old fingerprint of Kerry Max Cook's (Matthew Dixon) was enough to convict him of murdering a woman he'd visited months before, despite evidence pointing to a far more obvious suspect.
       After Gary Gauger (David Henley) discovered his father's dead body, police kept him awake for 12 hours of questioning and finally asked him to give a "vision statement." It required him to describe, hypothetically, what he would have done if he had killed his parents. The police turned that into a confession.
       The actors who took on this Masterpiece were extremely impressive. They told the true stories to the audience, just as they were told to the police when the original statements were recorded. The audience was brought along for a bumpy ride as we watched in suspense. Ironically enough, the outcome was clear, but the thrill continued for all five shows as if we were all hearing these accounts for the first time.

                                                                                       

       After the first two performances, a panel was held. The audience was allowed to ask the actors questions about their character, and find out where those particular people were now. The audience found out all of the hard work that went into portraying a real life person who has actually told their own stories before. The panel was equipped with Sociologists who studied Criminal Justice and politics to help answer some of those tougher questions.
        The Exonerated came to life beautifully on the vibrant stage of the Terry M. Fischer Theatre. The setting was simple, which helped maximize the presence of every actor as they spoke. Their voices carried collectively to every corner of the theater. The entire cast left everything on the stage, and the audience was able to fully enjoy all of it. We laugh, cried, and felt every bit of fear and anger that the characters did. The Exonerated was perfect for a family outing to the theater! It was both entertaining and well done. 

Next on stage at the STLCC- Florissant Valley Terry M. Fischer Theater:
Twelfth Night
written by William Shakespeare & directed by Chris Stephens
Nov. 8, 12:45 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 9 - 10 at 7:30 p.m. & Nov. 11 at 2 p. m.
*Nov. 9 performance features American Sign Language interpretation for the deaf and hard of hearing
Admission is free for all performances.
For more information contact 314-513-4488 or go to stlcc.edu/theater/fv


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