Emily Mann’s Execution of Justice, initially staged shortly after Dan White’s release from prison and shortly before his suicide. The play follows the events after the assassinations through a series of brief scenes and monologues, offering glimpses of Dan White, his wife Mary Ann, friends of Moscone, Milk, and White, policemen and transvestites, the media and those involved in the trial that followed. A trial that would end with little more than a slap on the wrist. Those wearing “Free Dan White” shirts rejoiced at what would become known as the “Twinkie Defense” verdict, the defense experts claiming White had “diminished capacity” and no premeditation, his dramatic mood swing possibly affected by the consumption of too much sugar. There was no rejoicing from the gay community, as the trial became a referendum on whether the openly gay Harvey Milk could be shot and killed with no repercussions. The answer was yes, he could.

The format of the script is mostly journalistic in style, but that doesn’t prevent some powerful, emotional moments. White’s (Sean Eads) chilling confession and description of the day’s events. His wife’s (Ivy Beech) genuine regret, still so haunted by the moment her husband told her of his actions that she can scarcely face it. District Attorney Joseph Freitas (Aaron Albert from Disney’s I’m in the Band) delivering a riveting closing argument for the state. But it’s not enough to overcome the work of White’s lawyer, with Douglas Schmidt (Kyle Hamon) smoothly appealing to the darker side of the conservative jury as he paints White as an upstanding citizen who was understandably stressed and on automatic pilot as he took his service revolver and extra ammunition, crawled through a window avoiding metal detectors, and cornered each of his victims in their office before shooting them repeatedly, including execution shots to the head.

The cast includes several other strong performances including Joseph Lorea as Sister Boom Boom, Anthony Lucca as Frank Falzon who takes White’s official confession, and an ensemble that often takes on two or three roles. That ensemble delivers the emotional highlight of the show through the candlelight vigil, with the cast coming down the aisles and along the front of the stage with their lighted candles as a moving monologue is delivered by Milk’s friend (Tim Dougherty), including the quote from a letter Milk wrote in case he was assassinated – his hope that “if a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door in the country.”

Performs November 5 - 14, 2009.

Rob Hopper
National Youth Theatre

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