What effect does it have on a person--a soul, a life--to have freedom and self-respect stripped away and then, ostensibly, returned years later after decades of incarceration?The Exoneratedattempts to answer this question through the words of six innocent men and women who, after years in jail, emerged from death row to try to reclaim what was left of their lives. Among them are Sunny Jacobs, a mother of two whose unwavering belief during sixteen years in jail that she would be released (despite the execution of her husband, who was also innocent, for the same crime) allowed her to dedicate herself to being a "living memorial" when she was freed. There is Kerry Max Cook, a Texan who was convicted of murdering a young woman even though she was found with another man's hair grasped in her fist--a man whom "Texas killed a thousand times, and just keeps on doing it" in his nightmares. And there is Delbert Tibbs, a black Chicago poet who speaks of his years on death row with anger and bitterness, yet also, as he says, "still sings." All their stories have been compiled and edited by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen intoThe Exonerated, a play that is both a riveting work of theater and an exploration of the dark side of the American criminal justice system. Jessica BlankandErik Jensen, both actors and writers, are married and live in New York City. Winner of the 2003 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Play Winner of the the L.A. Ovation Award for Best World Premiere Play Winner of the Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Awards for Unique Theatrical Experience What does it truly mean to be exonerated? The dictionary says it is to be proclaimed innocent after having been convicted of a crime. But what effect does it have on a persona soul, a lifeto have one's freedom and self-respect stripped away and then, ostensibly, returned years later, after decades of incarceration? Based on interviews conducted with more than forty exonerated death-row inmates across the United States, this widely acclaimed play attempts to answer that question.The Exoneratedpresents the words and worlds of six innocent men and women who emerged from years on death row to try to reclaim what is left of their lives. Among them is Sunny Jacobs, a mother of two whose unwavering belief during sixteen years in jail that she would be released (despite the execution of her husband, who was innocent, for the same crime) allowed her to dedicate herself to being a "living memorial" when she was finally freed. There is Kerry Max Cook, a man whom "Texas killed a thousand times, and just keeps on doing it" in his nightmares for years after his release. And there is Delbert Tibbs, a black Chicago poet who speaks of his years on death row with anger and bitterness, yet also, as he says, "still sings." All their stories have been compiled and edited by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen to create both a riveting work of theater and an unflinching exploration of the dark corners of America's criminal justice system. The Exoneratedhas also received, in addition to the awards listed above, the Defender of Justice Award from the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers; Court TV's Scales of Justice Award, and the Justice in Media and Arts Award from Death Penalty Focus. "[A] stark, spellbinding play [and] a profoundly moving excursion through the cracks in the justice system."Peter Marks,The Washington Post "Intense and deeply affecting . . .The Exoneratedreminds you that some American nightmares are never over."Ben Brantley,The New York Times "[A] stark, spellbinding play [and] a profoundly moving excursion through the cracks in the justice system."Peter Marks,The Washington Post "An artful and moving

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