Blind Injustice

That the American justice system is worse than broken--dangerous, dishonest, racist--is not news. Some innocent people have been coerced into confessing, others have accepted plea bargains rather than risking decades in prison, and still others have been convicted at trials based on corrupted evidence. Witnesses may lie to protect themselves; they may be forced by police to lie; or they may just be wrong. It has been estimated that 6% of the people in prison are innocent. With an estimated 1.8 million people incarcerated in the US, that comes to approximately 108,000 innocent people imprisoned.

Photo: Erin Baiano

As horrifying as those statistics are, they have the weakness of all statistics, which is that they do not contain emotions, or people, or families.

The brilliant opera Blind Injustice, which received its New York premiere last month in an electric MasterVoices production, is full of emotion and people and families. Based partially on the book of the same name and focusing on six innocent people who were exonerated after spending years or even decades in prison, the opera mixes fact and fiction, often using exonerated people's actual quotes in the vivid libretto by David Cote (dramaturgy by Robin Guarino). The exonerated people are Nancy Smith, Derrick Wheatt, Eugene Johnson, Laurese Glover, Clarence Elkins, and Rickey Jackson.

Photo: Erin Baiano

Scott Davenport Richards's extraordinary scores utilizes jazz, blues, and hip-hop to allow the full expression of emotion of the people depicted. There is something particularly satisfying in seeing these characters being able to express themselves full-voice, full-heart, and loud. I can't think of a better medium for telling this story.

Everyone involved with this production was at the top of their game. The volatile combination of feeling pain from the content and sheer pleasure at the artistry gives the audience the sort of emotional cognitive dissonance that may be felt at the very best art.

Photo: Erin Baiano

I found the audience response representative of this experience in a particular way: people gasped twice. The first time was when the 120 MasterVoices singers, seated in the section of the audience behind the stage, stood to sing. I knew that they were there, and I was thrilled. For the people who didn't realize that they were there, it must have felt magical. The second time they gasped was when one of the exonerees was asked how long he had been in prison, and he answered, "thirty-nine years."

I hope that Blind Injustice is picked up by opera companies everywhere. Audiences deserve to experience the artistry and need to hear the stories.

Wendy Caster

 

The Price

I am not a fan of Arthur Miller's. But I like to revisit works to see if I've missed something. Having recently reread Death of a Salesman and seen the The Village Theater Group production of The Price, I haven't changed my mind. In fact, watching The Price reminded me of how grateful I am for the relatively recent model of the 90-minute show, pared down and subtle, sleek and deep.

Janelle Farias Sando, Bill Barry
Photo: Joe Pacifico

Not all shows should be short. Some truly require and fill the time they take. Death of a Salesman is one. Purpose, currently on Broadway (see it!) is another. The Price is not. It is repetitive and blunt and repetitive and, oh yeah, repetitive as it shleps along its two acts. Paring the show down to 90 minutes could only help.

Mike Durkin
Photo: Joe Pacifico

Fitting snugly in the "adult children deal with the past" box, The Price centers around a crowded attic of stuff (nicely designed/assembled by the Village Theater Group). The main question is, how much is this all worth, financially and emotionally. The characters are two brothers--estranged, of course--and one's wife, along with Solomon, an antique/junk dealer who is going to buy everything in the attic. He is a real character, late 80s, Yiddish accent, tremendous presence but physically frail. He is comic relief, voice of reason, and plot device all is one. The four people interact in various combinations, and, yes, secrets are revealed and relationships are tested. Meanwhile, Solomon keeps trying to buy the items as cheaply as possible. 

This is an all-too-familiar play structure, but Miller did write it years before the gazillion other plays in which secrets are revealed and relationships are tested. There's a reason this structure has lasted; dysfunctional families are endlessly interesting to watch when the play is well-written. The Price provides some interesting scenes and interactions; if only there were fewer of them!

The Village Theater Group is a brand-new entity and well-worth watching I think. While I had complaints about this production (the pacing didn't help any), there was much to like and reasons for optimism for future productions. 

The main strength is the cast, in particular Bill Barry as the non-favorite son who has not made much of his life. (Miller's belief that being a police officer is a form of failure is a little offensive, though I buy that this family might feel that way.) Barry is excellent. The role is an emotional roller coaster, and he acts the dips and climbs and twists and turns with total believability. Everything he does is real, and the performance centers the play beautifully.

Mike Durkin is strongly effective as the dealer, as is Janelle Farias Sando as the wife. Cullen Wheeler, as the successful brother, is  miscast. He seems to come from a different reality. 

Other than the pacing, director Noelle McGrath gives the play a fair and thoughtful hearing. The design elements are all good.

It's 2025 and theatre has been "dying" for at least a hundred years. Yet, in a truly weird moment in history and in the midst of a terrible economy for the arts, co-founders Daniel J. Condon and Andrew Beregovoy have added a new theatre group to the mix. I wish them well. 

Wendy Caster