Sounds heavy – but Artistic Director David Cessarini assures, “Any good drama has some levity to it and in this work it’s found through personal relationships and the absurd but realistic courtroom proceedings – it’s an ironic humor.” After all, they want to kick off the season with a bang, especially since this is the inaugural production at the brand new Fifth Ward facility (255 S. Water St.).
Through detailed narration, the audience will learn how bungled investigations, politics and racism land these six in the big house. But tireless advocacy and a steadfast belief in their innocence earn them their release, only to be left to deal with the aftermath of an American justice system that failed them. “The U.S. puts so many more people per capita behind bars than any other county,” says Cessarini. “This play shows how vulnerable people are if they don’t have proper representation or enough funds.”
He was obviously fired up about the issue, but that’s the point. Cessarini and Next Act aim to bring social and political issues to the forefront and stir discussions with intimate and insightful works. “We like to mix it up,” he says. “Our productions are engaging and entertaining, but also thought provoking.”
This production, directed by Edward Morgan, mixes both first person narration and dramatization. The show made its way through Broadway, but the Next Act is the first to perform the work for the Milwaukee crowd. Next Act puts on four productions each season and strives to nurture and collaborate with local, professional talent.
The new building is exclusively dedicated to Next Act, and their logo is plastered along the huge outside wall of the building to prove it. It has a seating capacity of 150 (50 more seats than its last space), an elegant lobby with a box office and more backstage production area. The $1 million project also includes administrative office space on the second floor.
The Exonerated runs through October 30. Purchase tickets online or call 414-278-0765.
One more not to miss: New Photo Expressions 2011 at Blutstein Brondino Fine Art (207 E. Buffalo St., Suite 212).
This exhibition of new work by eight regional artists opens on Oct. 14 and includes a considerable amount of work never before shown publicly in a commercial gallery context and shows natural and humanly altered landscapes, integration of print media with photography, black ground floral compositions and surrealistic work in photomontage.
Artists include: Valerie J. Christell, Lawrence D’Attilio, Eddee, Daniel, Robert Israel, Dara Larson, William Mueller, James Seder and William Zuback. The gallery is open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and by appointment.
Photos courtesy of Next Act Theatre.
