"The Exonerated" to be Staged at Bergen Community College, 10/31-11/9
By Mel Fabrikant Thursday, October 09, 2008, 05:18 PM EDT
Mercedez Heggs,Taylor Brown, Nikka Kowidge, Jason Ver Hage and Bill Giannelli
"The Exonerated," written by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen, depicts six survivors, who were on death row for crimes they did not commit. They were later cleared of their crimes and freed after varying years of imprisonment. Their interwoven stories paint the picture of how the American justice system can go terribly wrong.
Following the Friday, November 7 performance, there will be a panel discussion comprised of distinguished Bergen faculty members and criminal justice experts, who will discuss the topics of capital punishment and the criminal justice system. This discussion will take place in the Ender Hall Lab Theatre; the public is invited to attend.
The Cast:
Alex Joustra, from Midland Park, as Delbert
Marcus Brown, from Teaneck, as David
Nikka Kowidge, from Leonia, as Sunny
Chris Maronta, from Englewood, as Robert
Bill Giannelli, from Mahwah, as Gary
Jason Ver Hage, from Midland Park, as Kerry
Genise Deal, from Teaneck, as Georgia
D.J. Vogel, from Fair Lawn, as Cop 1
Jason Provenzale, from Little Falls, as Cop 2
Mercedez Heggs, from Clifton, as Female 1
Taylor Brown, from Ho-Ho-Kus, as Female 2
April Macchio, from Saddle Brook, as Female 3
Shawn Kane, from Ringwood, as Male 2
William Reilly, from Paramus, as Male 3
The Production Team:
Director/Lighting Designer: Jared Saltzman from Clifton
Producer: Jim Bumgardner from Upper Nyack, NY
Set Designer: Michael LaPointe from Metuchen
Costume Designer: Marie Natali from Hawthorne
Sound Designer: Patrick Ryan from Rockaway
Stage Manager: Taylor Troccoli from River Edge
Photo Caption (Front Row, Left to Right): Mercedez Heggs and Taylor Brown (Back Row, Left to Right): Nikka Kowidge, Jason Ver Hage and Bill Giannelli
Bergen Community College is a public two-year coeducational college, enrolling more than 15,000 students in Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, and Associate in Applied Science degree programs and certificate programs. More than 10,000 students are enrolled in non-credit, professional courses through the Division of Continuing Education, the Institute for Learning in Retirement, the Philip J. Ciarco Jr. Learning Center, located at 355 Main Street, Hackensack, and Bergen at the Meadowlands, located at 1280 Wall Street West, Lyndhurst. Information about the College is available at www.bergen.edu or by phoning the Welcome Center at (201) 447-7200.
