Courtesy of The Actor’s Gang
“The Exonerated” The Actors’ Gang
Through June 16 (323) 465-0566
The thought of spending the rest of one’s life on death
row, waiting to be executed, is a terrifying one. “The
Exonerated,” a play about the experiences of six people who
are wrongly convicted of capital crimes, is thought-provoking and
moving. Beginning with Delbert Tibbs, (Richard Lawson) a brilliant
seminary dropout, the early scenes set the mood with a powerful
monologue. The play contains a variety of characters and
situations. Robert Earl Hayes (Ken Elliott), a black horse groomer
who was working at a racetrack when a white woman was raped and
murdered, is one such character who was wrongfully accused and
found guilty. The audience meets various other characters, each
with a different testimony. The audience learns of the
individuals’ struggles, whether leaving their children and
not seeing them for 16 years, or the harsh ways they were treated
in prison. Each story is remarkably told, beginning with the
background of each former prisoner to the feelings they have today
of their past. Issues of race and social background are also
brought to light in this play. For some, their convictions are due
to their inability to pay for a better lawyer. In the case of three
others, it is because they “fit the profile,” being
black males. Through the different testimonies, audience members
also see the justice system through the eyes of those convicted. As
they painfully describe the price they paid, the inmates provide
compelling stories illustrating their views on a fallible justice
system. The view that prevails probably belongs to Tibbs. Although
he spent years on death row when he should have been free, Tibbs
offers moving words that show he still believes he lives in a great
society, which is an ironic thought. This play is exceptionally
written and precisely staged. The monologue, 98 percent of which is
taken from court cases, interviews and other documented sources,
relates first-handedly to each character’s feelings and
views. The staging of one person’s story to the next person
is done creatively and effectively. In the end, the audience learns
where these people are now and the challenges they face in trying
to lead normal lives, even though some have lost over a decade of
freedom. “The Exonerated” not only teaches the audience
about human capacities, whether harsh or kind, but it also shows
that although these people have experienced grave misfortunes, they
are now an example of how life should be lived, and that is, to the
fullest. -Laura Morgan
“The Price” Odyssey Theatre Through June
16(310) 477-2055
“The Price,” written by Arthur Miller and directed
by Anthony Caldarella, will grab heartstrings and pull them for a
while. The play is a day in a long psychological family drama
between brothers about revisited wounds and long-overdue
confrontations. The story takes place in the 1960s in the old
family home where two brothers come back to sell off their
parent’s furniture and wind up battling over the past that
the furniture represents. “The Price” is
reminiscent of other Miller plays, such as “Death of a
Salesman,” in its ability to still be relevant and
emotionally reflective of vast human issues like family dynamics
and the changing American culture. Barry Primus, who plays Victor,
one of the brothers, excels in depicting a man with great potential
whose aspirations have been fettered by senses of duty and
hesitations. He effectively changes his whole persona to depict the
role of someone brought up to be hard, but hiding a deep
sensitivity underneath the surface. Laurie O’Brien, who plays
Victor’s wife, Esther, adeptly supports the scene action as
well as leads it whenever appropriate. Her role is a difficult
balance of providing support to her husband throughout the
performance while also forcing him to confront fears and feelings
he would rather avoid. O’Brien provides a strong
performance although it is difficult to immediately determine the
relationship between O’Brien and Primus, as she acts sisterly
toward him in the beginning. The elderly Jewish furniture
appraiser in the play, perhaps the most enjoyable character, is
masterfully portrayed by George Murdock, who TV audiences might
remember from playing the second elder in “The X-Files”
or Lt. Scanlon on the show “Barney
Miller.” Everything from his Eastern European accent to
the way he brought a boiled egg out from his pocket and munched it
under his fluffy beard stole the audience’s hearts. It would
be difficult to see the character acted out by another after his
performance. This production of “The Price” is
well-staged and well-designed. The visual spectacle of the
attic and the position of actors in no way hinders the story, but
creates an environment for it to flourish. The acting is for
the most part entertaining with only a few sidetracks.
-Kenneth Ruda