84 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • JUNE 7, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
buzz
‘The Exonerated’ at Secret Theatre
Th e pendulum swings relentlessly since
the days of Cain and Abel. Th e battle
between good and evil never fades.
Tonight the tragedy of the wrongfully
accused combines with the confl icted
euphoria of those fi nally freed. Th eir
story is told at the Secret Th eatre in “Th e
Exonerated” by Jessica Blank and Erik
Jensen.
Dressed in black from head to toe, the
performers sit silently, their backs to the
audience. Only numbered chairs off er clues.
Th ey turn, stand and face the audience. Each
recounts an anguished tale of misplaced
guilt and painfully delayed justice.
Th e stage is stark with just a powerful
prison scene projected against the rear
wall (Melissa Anderson, scenic design;
Alexis Achilles projection design). Th e
characters move from shadows to light,
oft en speaking before they are spotlighted
(Joe Cabrera, lighting design). Th e eerie
eff ect enhances the mood.
Executive producer Richard Mazda,
director DeMone Seraphin (along with
assistant director Krysta Hibbard, fi ght
director Meron Langsner and associate
fi ght director Cristina Ramos) off er 90
minutes of uninterrupted testimony. Th e
focus is on the wrongful arrests, their
excruciating time spent in prison and the
aft ermath of their proven innocence. Less
time is spent on the mechanisms involved
in righting the wrongs. Clearly, the play
is centered with laser intensity on these
tragic men and women of death row.
The 10 very talented performers
play numerous roles. Th e presentations
Laura Lockwood in The Exonerated at Secret Theatre
are generally monologues directed
at the audience. Some re-enactments
demonstrate the ferocity of incarceration.
As Delbert, a prison poet, James S.
Washington fi nds painful paradoxes in
what society perceives as right or wrong.
In the monologue by “Sunny,” a women
on death row, Laura Lockwood wonders
how a 1970s “hippie” could be accused
of murder. Alphonso Walker Jr., Chelsea
Davis and Tommy Norton with Ruby
Littman are couples permanently scarred
by the weight of events.
Despite the violent themes, several
photo courtesy Steven Speliotis
characters describe a higher power
that ultimately intervenes on their behalf.
As prisoner “David,” Greg K. Warren
invokes his savior to stop a rain shower.
More subtle examples occur throughout
the play. Th e cast, including Mark A.
Keeton, Tyler Waage and Sean Jarrell,
off er performances that help cement the
evening’s message.
For information on this and future
productions, call 718-392-0722, click on
www.secrettheatre.com, or “like” them
on Facebook. As always, save me a seat
on the aisle.
photo courtesy Steven Speliotis
James S. Washington in The Exonerated at the Secret Theatre
A VIEW FROM
THE CLIFF
BY CLIFF KASDEN
Landrum Dance of Whitestone marks
70th anniversary with big show
Landrum School of Performing Arts in
Whitestone celebrated its 70th anniversary
with an exciting dance show on June
2 at the Kupferberg Center of the Arts at
Queens College in Flushing. Th e performances
featured a wide variety of dance
numbers from ballet to cheerleading.
Annette Vallone of Landrum School took
to the school’s offi cial Facebook page to
congratulate all the dancers and instructors
on a job well done, as well as the families
for supporting the students all year long.
Welcome the summer at LIC
Flea & Food this weekend
Aft er a rainy May, the LIC Flea & Food
market hopes for sunnier skies when it
celebrates its opening weekend of the
2018 season this Saturday and Sunday,
June 9-10.
Eat, shop, drink and chill at Queens’
premiere market. You can enjoy delicious,
soon-to-be favorites such as Korean barbecue
and fusion specialties like ramen
mac ‘n’ cheese from Memphis Seoul BBQ.
You can also try Puerto Rican-Th ai fusion
cuisine from Believe Me I Can Cook and
an Italian favorite from San Antonio’s
Wood-Fired Pizza.
You can also shop for unique items from
artists such as Moss Boss NYC, handcraft
ed skincare from Pure Bellissimo and
curated goodies from Portmanteau NYC.
Also at the Flea will be HGTV’s “Flea
Market Flip” with Lara Spencer, which
will be fi lming episodes for their upcoming
season.
Grab a brew or a glass of wine at the
Queens Beer Garden while you kick back
and take in the Manhattan skyline.
LIC Flea & Food will be open from 11
a.m. to 6 p.m. both days at 5-25 46th Ave.
Visit licfl ea.com for details.
Also, save the date for the Wine &
Sweets Festival returning on July 7-8.
Tickets start at just $29 and are available
at www.licfl ea.com/special-events.
Photos by Andrew Grant
/www.secrettheatre.com
/www.licfl
