Playing for a Purpose
In 2002 I was a member of the team of producers that presented the documentary play The Exonerated Off-Broadway. It is a remarkable show.
The Exonerated ran in a 299-seat house for eighteen months. It told the true stories of six individuals who were arrested, convicted, and sentenced to death for crimes they did not commit. The play itself was written from interviews of the exonerees portrayed, trial testimony and other court documents.
This production of the play won The Lucille Lortel award for unique theatrical experience, a Drama Desk award for unique theatrical experience, and The Outer Critics Circle award for outstanding Off-Broadway play.
More importantly, it directly helped to overturn the death penalty in the state of Illinois.
Theater Changes Society
Since this play was originally performed the only thing that has changed is the number of exonerated individuals has grown.
Rhymes Over Beats intends to mount a revival of the play on Broadway. Instead of film, television, and theater actors, we want to use Hip Hop Artists who are actors.
Hip Hop arose out of a specific set of social and political circumstances. This play portrays these circumstances and their effect on the lives of innocent people.
We feel The Exonerated is a hip hop play, and authenticity requires the characters be played by hip hop artists.
What do YOU think?
Is this the kind of play we should be doing?
Which hip hop artist you would like to see act on stage?