The Courtroom: A Reenactment of One Woman’s Deportation Proceedings is a Riveting Slice of Real Life

The Courtroom: A Reenactment of One Woman’s Deportation Proceedings is being presented by Jungle Theater in two locations. The first group of performances is taking place in a mock courtroom on the campus of Hamline University in St. Paul. This is where I saw it and unfortunately, it has sold out the remainder of that run already. It will transfer to the Jungle Theater on June 13th and run there through July 2nd. This was one of the best uses of a nontraditional performance space that I have been witness to. The play is simplicity itself. We are witness to reenactments of the actual transcripts from three hearings held in the deportation proceedings of Elizabeth Keathley. There are no dramatic monologues, no gnashing of teeth or howling at the injustices of the judicial system. The actors are matter of fact and it becomes increasingly easy to lose sight of the proceedings as performance and view what you are experiencing as a real hearing. Which is deceptively hard to actually pull off and what makes the event so unique and engrossing.

Elizabeth married John Keathley, a U.S. Citizen in July of 2003 in the Philippines where she had lived her entire life. In May of 2004 she moved to the U.S. on a Visa and in November 2004 she went to the DMV to get a State ID and inadvertently registered to vote in the state of Illinois. She received a voter registration card and in November of 2006 she votes in an election assuming it’s legal for her to do so since the State had sent her a card in the mail. The result is that the Department of Homeland Security denies her application to become a citizen and she is classified as deportable. What we witness are the various hearings that will determine the future of Elizabeth Keathley, mother of one daughter with John and stepmother of his daughter from a previous marriage. What is at stake is dramatic, but the presentation is understated in such a way that it draws you in without realizing it. Like when a teacher begins talking really softly but it has the same effect as yelling. It’s not monotone or devoid of emotion, it’s devoid of what we think of as acting, it feels real, which is a credit to all of the actors involved.

The only actor that really gets to do much in the way of emoting is Stephanie Anne Bertumen as Elizabeth Keathley. She has some moments when she needs to compose herself, but as with every aspect of performance in The Courtroom: A Reenactment of One Woman’s Deportation Proceedings, it’s indistinguishable from real life, so naturalistic and subtle. Dustin Bronson plays John Keathley and he’s making something of a name for himself playing characters that abhor being the center of attention. Like his character in Jungle Theater’s Georgiana & Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley last winter John is clearly ill at ease. Whereas then he turned that discomfort into comic gold, here it’s done in such a way that rather than laugh at him, we are won over to him, and becomes a person, not just a character, to entertain us. All of the judges and attorneys are equally grounded, there isn’t a false moment from anyone in the show. If you’ve ever had the chance to observe a actual hearing like this you’ll agree this feels like you’ve stumbled into an actual court hearing. The cast is rounded out by Vinecia Coleman, Alison Edwards, Jay Owen Eisenberg, Melanie Wehrmacher, Charlene Holm and in the performance I saw Understudy Megan Kim. The performance ends with the audience taking on the role of those about to be sworn in as new U.S. citizens. The judge for this portion will change between real local judges playing themselves and Lily Tung Crystal. For the performance I was at, we were given the oath by the Honorable Judge John Docherty. His remarks to the us as new Citizen’s are beautifully worded and express the ideals of our country. I wish his beliefs were those of all my fellow Americans, they echo my own, and they are a good reminder of what we as a country are meant to be.

The Courtroom: A Reenactment of One Woman’s Deportation Proceedings is directed by James Rodriguez. Rodriguez’s choice to present it as if it was the actual hearings is absolutely the right approach. Choosing not to dramatize but simply present, reinforces our empathy. We identify with the character precisely because they do not feel like characters. This is a true story, one that lays bare all of the idiocy of Government bureaucracy. Where we see how the laws that exist can be followed to the letter and create grave injustices. It’s a reminder that sometimes there can be no justice so long as rules and laws are absolute. I was completely under the spell of this production, I was on the edge of my seat throughout, and you will be as well as long as you take the precaution not to read through the program ahead of time or during intermission. It’s safe to read the cast bios and Directors note, but stay away from the rest until after the curtain call.

I urge everyone to avail themselves of this unique theater experience. This is theater with a social conscience brought down to the most human level possible. One story reveals so much about our world, it’s flaws, it’s realities, it’s small victories and it’s quiet devestations. It also reveals our ideals and our potential. As I mentioned the run at Hamline University has sold out. I have seen photos of the set and space at the Jungle Theater and I feel like it will give you enough of that courtroom reality along with the fine work of the cast to pull you into Elizabeth Keathley’s world. The Courtroom: A Reenactment of One Woman’s Deportation Proceedings runs through July 2nd, for more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.jungletheater.org/the-courtroom

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