Responding to a Play Text

Record Your Gut Reaction
In the beginning of the play, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. I've always tried to see the good in people, but have also been taught that it's also important to make certain judgements (as a safety issue precaution). I remember, growing up, how blunt I used to be (and still am occasionally). I used to have an opinion on everything and of everyone. Like many kids, I wasn't afraid to show it. While reading the play, I was surprised how long many innocent people were in jail without any proof of supporting evidence that they did the crime. It was quite difficult to try to comprehend the horrors many went through. It was even more daunting the fact that the stories were based on 89 people's lives who had been exonerated from the death row. I cried a little bit when Sunny revealed her husband had been executed for a crime he did not do. She too was close to death, but then was released after the real murderer confessed. 


Record an Analysis of the Text
List

• Characters:
•  Sunny, Robert, Georgia, Gary, Kerry, David, Sandra, and Sue, Delbert, 
• 10 characters total
• 6 main exonerated people

• Locations: 
• The South and Midwest 
• Highway 
• Cells 
• Court

• Transitions: 
• Spotlight was on whoever was speaking. 
• Many memories 

• Facts, Deductions, Questions: 
• Why did it take so long for them to be released? Did they receive any help from the government after their release (e.g. money or a job)? 

• Central Ideas: 
• Be careful what you say about people based on what they look like. Be more open minded. 

1. The Exonerated is the story about six people who were exonerated and are trying to move on. 

2. The Exonerated is about prejudice and the consequences many suffer for false accusations. 

Research

• Authors' lives:
• Jessica Blank was born in New Haven, Connecticut. She is not only a novelist, but an actress and playwright. 
• Erik Jensen is married to Jessica Blank. They have been married since 2002. He too is an American playwright and author. 

• Time period and cultural conditions:
• 1970's 
• Black people were accused for false crimes based on skin color 

• World or local events:
• Governor George Ryan (Illinois) declared a moratorium on the death penalty. 
• A different George was running for office. As the governor in Texas; he carried out the most executions of all of the United States since 1976. 
• 1976 is when they started practicing the death penalty again. 

• Play's reception and impact on audience:
• They performed at the United Nations and had three readings at The Culture Project.

• Themes and ideas of the play:
• Don't judge a book by its cover
• Don't be prejudice or racist

• Particular characters or character traits: 
• Confusion
• All were innocent 
• African-Americans were accused for murder
• Actual murderer ended up being white 

• Genre or style:
• Minimalism
• Post modernism 

• Setting:
• The stage had 6 chairs for each exonerated person 

• Any particular aspects unique to the play:
• Begins with a poet and ends with a poet
• sets the stage 

Chapter 16 and Contemporary Play Reaction

How is this play a reflection of contemporary theatrical styles?

The Exonerated, written in the summer of 2000, is a play about a group of people who were wrongfully convicted. The play opened in 2002 and has since been raising money for the exonerated. After each performance, the audience will have a chance to donate money to those who loss many years of freedom in jail for crimes they had not committed. This play reflects contemporary theatrical theatre not only because of its release date, but also its context. In the United States, the setting of the play, many have been convicted due to racism and prejudices. To represent this, two of the six main characters were thrown in jail because they were black. Recently in the United States, there have been many police officer shootings targeted towards black males. Similar to those falsely convicted, many of those who were killed during the shootings were innocent.

Can you identify an -ism for your play? Multiple -isms? Create your own?

In my opinion, I think one of the "isms" could be didacticism. The play was not meant to take the audience and explore a surreal world, but raise awareness and hopefully move them to make a change in the lives of the exonerated. The audience has the opportunity to donate money as well. Another ism is minimalism. The set included chairs, lights, and sound effects. The authors wanted the play to focus on the stories of the characters, not all the stage effects. Minimalism is a great way of simplifying everything down to its core.

"What role do you think living playwrights have in modern theater?" Brook- "... the key work is "living." A living playwright who recognizes that he must let something beyond his own point of view come through him has an enormous role to play."

Brook speaks about authors being alive. Is your playwright alive?

Yes, I believe the playwright was alive because of how moved the actors were. On page 9, it states, "Besides, in the process of watching over 100 actors work on these roles, we've found that the actors usually do better when they don't meet the real people and/or watch videotape of them during the rehearsal process." The stories moved the actors to the extent it had become second nature. The actors even started to mimic the character's speech patterns and mannerisms. The actors didn't need to research the characters. "It's all in the words, and in the stories." (9)

Can you see your plays connection with today's society? Or do you feel your play is art for art's sake? Explain.

Personally, I can see how and why this play would be very popular right now. Due to the current events that have been happening on the East cost of the United States, it is very easy to visualize more performances of The Exonerated coming soon. In today's society, we still face racism and prejudices. Instead of being quick to judge, we should instead try harder as a whole to end the spread of this sick disease. Everyone should be treated equally. People should not be suspected for crimes because of their race or background.

If you were to choose to produce this play, which style would best fit? Or do you thin it would be good to mix styles, periods and cultures like Brook often did?

I think the best style to fit this play would be modern. Since "modernism" is always evolving, it's hard to define what the present is. I would choose to stick with modernism because it's easier to draw an emotional appeal to those who one can relate to. This emotional connection is what can move people to change and help others. Even in the future, people can learn and gain something out of the play.

After looking over the chapter, reflecting on the type of theater you have seen recently and reading this new play, where do you think theatre is headed? What will be the new -ism?

I think the new "ism" will be painism. I think there will be a lot of pain due to society. I fear that there is a lot of wars and fighting happening in the world right now. As a result of that, there will be a lot of pain and sorrow. I think theatre will start to portray dark and depressing sides. This being said, I think by bringing out the sad side of theatre, it will spark a change in people. Most don't like to watch morbid plays about death and war all the time. This will only push society in a more positive direction after painism.

Artist in Residence

Skills I Learned

I learned that it takes minimal movement to change the mood of the mask. The reaction speed of the character does not have to be fast to be impactful. A simple tilt of the head could change the mood from curious to sad. Furthermore, when using a mask, one is much more vulnerable and aware of his or her surroundings. While acting, I learned that the reactions depended on everything and everyone around me. I no longer had an opinion of an object, but a sense of curiosity.

Personal Experience I had Doing Mask Work

Since I didn’t have very much experience acting to begin with, doing mask work really pulled me out of my comfort zone. In a way, it was comfortable being in a mask because I could feel a connection to it. I literally didn’t know what I was doing, which is what I assumed the mask character would feel like in the beginning of a story. I enjoyed practicing mask, because of how simple it is. In my opinion, the simplicity draws the audience’s attention to focus immediately on the mask. There are no other distractions. One of the things that challenged me was forgetting everything. Sometimes it was hard acting like I didn’t know what to do. It was difficult to try to rewind my mind to back when I was a child.

Ways Mask Work Can be Used

Mask work can be useful in future rehearsals, devising, and performing in many ways. One must release tension and stress. Mask work is raw acting. Imitation is very minimal when working with mask work. It is very obvious to the audience when an actor has thought about his or her reaction to an object. It allows the performer to tell a story through his or her movements. The performer slowly creates his or her persona while acting. Since the actor’s face has been hidden, it takes much longer for a mask to portray his or her emotion. The actor now depends on his or her body and the speed of his or her movements.

3 Questions for Alfie

1. Do you believe there are qualifications for one to be called an actor? And if so, what would they be?
2. How has mask work help you grow as an artist and (overall) a person?
3. What was your first impression of mask work?

Mask Work and Performances 

In preparation of performances, the performer can use mask work to help him or her relax. He or she must forget everything and any memory an object holds. The performer should loosen up his or her body as well. If the mask is standing in a confidence stance; it already portrays a feeling towards the audience. A mask has no memory of an object in the beginning. Instead, the mask explores it. During the actual performance, the a mask performer has no boundaries or limited directions for where he or she must stand. If the audience reacts positively to an action the mask has done, the mask may do it again. The mask performer’s movements may correlate to the audience's response.