Photo Flash: Members of 'The Central Park Five' Appear for THE BULLPEN Talkback

Several members of "The Central Park Five," the group of five young black and Latino youths falsely arrested and convicted in 1989 for the brutal beating and rape of a white woman in Central Park, attended the February 7 performance of The Bullpen, the one-man, 18-character comedy written and performed by Joe Assadourian, (now playing through March 21) at The Playroom Theater (151 West 46th Street - just east of Broadway). Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson and Yusef Salam, three of the five members, participated in a talkback following the performance to talk about their cases, re-entry and life inside the prison system. Scroll down for photos from the event!

In 1989, five black and Latino Harlem teens were arrested and convicted of brutally beating and raping a white woman in Central Park. Called the "crime of the century" by New York Mayor Ed Koch, it remains one of the most sensationalized news stories of our time. These men, now known as the Central Park Five, spent between 7 and 13 years in prison before DNA evidence and a confession from a serial rapist finally proved their innocence. In June 2014, 25 years following their case, a Federal Judge approved a $41 million civil rights settlement in what Mayor Bill DeBlasio has called "an act of justice for those five men that is long overdue."

In The Bullpen, a man is arrested, arraigned and put on trial for a crime he claims he did not commit. Consequently he is judged by two systems of jurisprudence -- one a jury of his peers in an actual courtroom and the other, the fascinating and hilarious denizens ofthe bullpen in which he is being held. Mr. Assadourian mercurially transforms from character to character and court to court as the play steamrolls toward both verdicts that literally range from the sublime to the ridiculous.

After his release from Otisville Correctional Institution in October of 2013 after serving 12 of his 25 year sentence for attempted murder, actor/writer Joe Assadourian went from the cage to the stage after discovering his theatrical ability while reluctantly participating in a workshop behind bars led by Off-Broadway solo-show actor/director Richard Hoehler.

Developed by the duo over two years, both inside and outside the state prison system, The Bullpen premiered Off Broadway on June 22, 2014 for a strictly limited engagement, but due to popular demand, the show was extended several times and continues through March 21, 2015.

Photo Credit: Ben Mann

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