It is a remarkable first effort, both for its polished structure and the honesty it conveys throughout. But, you don't need to work in the criminal justice system to be frustrated by the amazingly cynical nature of the violence in this country . . . This is a play about violence, but there are additional undercurrents of racism, bureaucratic insensitivity, and outright fatalism that raise the work to a higher level. The story line begins with a brief scene on the floor of a modestly furnished living room of Antwon Stokes' mother, Twila.
Shots ring out.
The remaining Act One scenes alternate between two barren rooms of a Baltimore prison. The first is a tiny cell where Antwon is being held on charges of murdering his mother, with an adjoining desk and chair where John Harris, the corrections officer, maintains his chilling vigil. The other area is where social worker Kara Scully attends to the counselling needs of the inmates and their families, either over the phone, or in private interviews. Act Two begins with events that immediately precede the opening scene killing of Twila, and provides answers to many of the questions raised in the first act. The scene also serves to round out the character of Antwon, whom we begin to see in a totally different light.