The Exonerated

Poetic Justice Project will present two performances of The Exonerated Nov. 3-4 at St. Mary’s Center in Oakland. Written by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen, the play tells the true stories of five men and one woman who were sent to Death Row for crimes they did not commit.

The play premiered in New York City in 2002. Washington Post writer Peter Marks hailed it as a “stark, spellbinding play (and) a profoundly moving excursion through the cracks in the justice system.” The Exonerated won the 2003 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway play, the Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Awards for Unique Theatrical Experience, and the L.A. Ovation Award for Best World Premiere Play.

The Exonerated will be performed on Saturday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 4 at 2 p.m. at St. Mary’s Center, 925 Brockhurst St., Oakland. Directed by Deborah Tobola, the play features Poetic Justice Project actors, all of whom have been incarcerated in juvenile facilities, jails and/or prisons. Both performances at St. Mary’s will be followed by audience talkbacks. Tickets are available online at Brown Paper Tickets or at the door.

Based in Santa Maria, Poetic Justice Project is a program of the award-winning William James Association, which provides arts instruction to people on parole and probation, prisoners, and youth at risk of incarceration. For more information, visit poeticjusticeproject.org or find Poetic Justice Project on Facebook.