New Play Looks at Innocence after Found Guilty

A staged reading of "Pedro Castillo is Innocent," a new play about an innocent man in jail and the impact that experience has on his family, will debut the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

The Textile Co. is presenting this staged reading of a play by Claude Solnik on Sat., Nov. 28 at 8 p.m. at Studio Theatre Long Island, 141 S. Wellwood Ave., Lindenhurst. Tickets are $15 at pedrocastilloisinnocent.brownpapertickets.com.

John Torres plays Pedro Castillo, Gina Scarda plays his wife Gwen and Amanda Griemsmann plays their daughter Kaela.

Michael J.Shanahan plays a corrections officer; Michael Carlin plays fellow inmate Santino; Elizabeth Rowe plays Angela, an attorney, and Liz Zimmerman plays Liberty.

Alex Vartanian is handling sound effects for this staged reading where sound is being used to produce a setting for the story.

Inspired by true events, "Pedro Castillo is Innocent" follows a Hispanic man's journey through the justice system, mixing realism with fantasy.

The story was inspired by the case of Fernando Bermudez, who served 18 years in jail for a crime he did not commit. He is slated to speak with the audience following the show via telephone connection.

Bermudez was arrested after his photo was picked by witnesses, although he was not at the scene of the crime, did not know anyone there, had no history of violence and didn't own or use a gun. The witnesses soon recanted, but Bermudez remained in jail for nearly two decades.

Solnik covered the case as a journalist at New York City weeklies The Villager and Downtown Express and then worked to exonerate him.

Bermudez was exonerated after 18 years long after witnesses recanted, as a judge declared him "innocent," not simply "not guilty."

He now lectures on innocence, issues with the justice system the ability to persist in the face of adversity.

"With 2 million people in jail, it stands to reason that some are innocent," Solnik said. "This play tells the story of what some of these people and their families face."

"Pedro Castillo is Innocent" looks at the Catch 22 that innocent people encounter, often given severe sentences because of their refusal to admit guilt and show remorse.

Scott Christianson, author of "Innocent" and one of the key advocates who pushed for Bermudez's release, said Bermudez was able to "prove his innocence" in a system that resists revisiting cases.

"The root of the problem is that prosecutors refuse to admit their mistakes, even when they know it is wrong," Christianson said. "That is not justice. It is not right. Honesty means admitting you have erred."

The timing, soon after Thanksgiving, helps us appreciate our own freedom and remember the victims of wrongful convictions and their families, who aren't so fortunate.

Solnik frequently writes plays inspired by true stories, including one about Victoria Woodhull, the first woman to run for president in the 1860s. The Textile Co. also presented his "Lady From Limerick" based on the true story of an Irish woman who travels to New York for plastic surgery.

Solnik wrote a play about Tennessee Williams and his sister Rose that the Textile Co. presented as a staged reading at Studio Theatre Long Island.

"At its heart, this is a human story," Solnik said of 'Pedro Castillo is Innocent.' "It's about family, friends and facing challenges."

Tix. $15 and info. at pedrocastilloisinnocent.brownpapertickets.com or by calling 516-404-2960 with additional info. available from the theater at 631-226-8400.

The Textile Co. is a Long Island theater group that has presented three plays by Solnik at Theater for the New City in Manhattan and a staged reading at Studio Theatre Long Island.

Studio Theater Long Island, which began producing plays more than 50 years ago, has been at its current location in Lindenhurst since 1970. Owners/producers David Dubin and Mike Vellecca continue its tradition of presenting high-quality work to Long Island audiences.

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