http://www.playbill.com/news/article/170022-Culture-Projects-Starry-Exonerated-Anniversary-Production-Begins-Limited-Run-Sept-15#.UFS3B63Hnac.facebook
and here is a link to the play's website. (Students tickets are available for $30.)
http://cultureproject.org/current/exonerated/
Both links reveal all of the various celebrities who are scheduled to rotate in and out of the six exonerated roles (Brian Dennehy is one of the more recognizable names), but also state that, "Exoneree Sunny Jacobs, whose story is shared within the play, joins the cast for one week, Sept. 25-30." Casting Sunny as, I am assuming, herself complicates the discussion we've been having about sincerity, celebrity, and empathy, as well as the differences between documentary film, theatre, and docudrama. Would including Sunny privilege her story over those of the five other exonerates whose stories would be performed by celebrity actors? Would her performance seem more sincere than the others? The play is already constructed to portray Sunny's story as one of the most empathetic and actually seeing her character embodied by the actual Sunny would only increase the level of empathy created within the audience. I'm not sure an excess of empathy is useful for this play. The play is so carefully crafted to best use sincerity that disturbing the balance might increase its theatricality in a way that exposes the mechanics of the play's project.
Additionally, with the exception of one of Delbert's choric moments, The Exonerated ends with Sunny's following monologue:
“I want to be a living memorial. When I die, I
want ‘em to plant tomatoes on me, or apple trees or something, so that I can
still be a part of things. And while I'm still alive, I’m planting my seeds
everywhere I go, so that they’ll say, ‘I once heard this woman, and she didn’t
let them stop her, and she didn’t get crushed, and if that little woman person
can do it, then I can do it.’ And that’s my revenge. That’s my legacy,
and my memorial.” (75-76)
I'm wondering if Sunny performing as Sunny would trap the play into becoming a Sunny memorial. To allude to Ming and Courtney's comments in class, might Sunny's performance as herself alter empathy in the audience so that instead of leaving the theatre wanting to combat the death penalty, you might leave the theatre wanting to give Sunny a long hug and a hefty donation check?
1 comment:
Jenna, this is a very valuable addendum to our conversation. Thanks very much for offering it. I too wonder about this choice. There is something exhibitive, not especially actorly, about putting Sunny in the part. I wonder, too, whether she ought to be allowed to just ad lib. Why speak lines attributed to her when she can be her own mouthpiece. Which raises the questions: will present-day Sunny be as sunny as she was a decade ago? Can the play work if she doesn't pretend to be the person she was? Can it work if she has to be pretending?
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