Although each exoneree has a unique story, they also share the same battles and ‘ripples’ that are touched upon here. Their problems are not solved on release from prison; instead a whole heap of new problems are presented to them and a new fight begins. This production looks at this issue for a fictional exoneree, based on the experiences of the growing number of exonerees in the criminal justice system.
At the Center, a production created by Tim Touhy and performed by the Chicago Dramatists Theater, focuses on the ripple effect of wrongful convictions across the lives of the many different people affected by them. The play focuses its attentions on a fictional exoneree and his family along with a victim and hers, as well as the innocence organization that worked toward the exoneree’s release. The final act culminates in the first meeting between all of the parties; one which is aimed at restoration between the exoneree and the victim.
One of the play’s primary protagonists is the exoneree himself, Hector Reyes, and the different stages of his post-exoneration experience. Although brief, an interrogation scene that produces a false confession spoke well to the tactics that police officers frequently employ to coerce admissions of guilt. This scene serves not only as a riveting early set-piece in the play, but…
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Shawn Hawkins 