Composer | Scott Davenport Richards
Librettist | David Cote
Based on the book Blind Injustice by Mark Godsey and casework by the Ohio Innocence Project at the University of Cincinnati College of Law
Director and Dramaturg | Robin Guarino
Conductor | Ted Sperling
This inspiring new 90-minute opera follows the Ohio Innocence Project’s efforts to overturn the convictions of six men, women, and teens who were wrongly imprisoned for violent crimes they didn’t commit: Nancy Smith, a school bus driver wrongly convicted of molesting children at the height of “nursery school hysteria” sweeping the nation. Imprisoned for 15 years. Laurese Glover, Derrick Wheatt, and Eugene Johnson – The “East Cleveland 3” – teenage boys wrongly convicted of murder, based on the testimony of a girl who was coerced by police. Imprisoned for 20 years. Clarence Elkins, wrongly convicted of the murder and rape of his mother-in-law and the rape of his wife’s niece. Imprisoned for 7.5 years. The actual perpetrator ultimately confessed. Rickey Jackson, wrongly convicted of murder and robbery, based on the coerced testimony of a child who later played a key role in his release. Imprisoned for 39 years, sent to Death Row.
Featuring an operatic score infused with jazz, gospel, funk, and hip-hop, and a libretto drawn substantially from the exonerees’ own words, this timely and riveting production asks “What makes a person strong enough to endure injustice?”
MasterVoices’ production of Blind Injustice marks the work’s New York premiere, following a world premiere at Cincinnati Opera, and the East Coast premiere at PEAK Performances at Montclair State University with the participation of the MasterVoices Chorus.
“A masterpiece.” – CityBeat
“Vivid and immediate. A powerful critique of the criminal justice system.” – The Wall Street Journal
“Deeply moving and profound.” – Cincinnati Business Courier
