Coterie’s ‘And Justice for Some’ sees history through a unique lens

The title of the current production at the Coterie is a mouthful: “And Justice for Some: The Freedom Trial of Anthony Burns (1858).”

The play by Wendy Lement and Bethany Dunakin is precisely what the title says it is: an account of Anthony Burns, an escaped slave who in the 1850s made a life in Massachusetts, only to find himself tried and returned to his “master” in Virginia, thanks to the Fugitive Slave Act.

It isn’t exactly a kangaroo court as depicted onstage, but the question before the presiding judge is pretty basic: Should he strictly follow the law or make the moral choice and allow Burns to remain free?

Edwin Brown III plays Anthony with low-key emotion and quiet dignity. The show has some 40 roles played by a cast of seven. Most of the actors therefore play multiple roles. In some cases men play women and women play men, and actors of color play members of the white ruling class.

Maya Loren Jackson, for example, plays Judge Loring, who presided over the Burns trial. She has tremendous presence and most viewers won’t question the seeming incongruity of an African-American actress playing a white judge who was later kicked out of office by the state legislature.

Similarly, Caroline Vuchetich plays Seth Thomas, who argued for the slave owner in court, as well as the mayor of Boston, newspaper reporters and one female role: Louisa May Alcott.

Mariem Diaz also plays a gallery of male roles, while Michael Thayer plays lawyer Richard Henry Dana as well as Mrs. Parker, a Boston abolitionist.

Josh LeBrun plays several male characters but is most impressive as Col. Tuttle, the smooth-talking slave owner who wants Anthony back in Virginia. And Daniel Fleming plays several roles of both genders, but his most important task is to play the Chairperson, a kind of facilitator who engages the viewers in the interactive aspect of the show.

In the opening moment, Fleming tells the viewers that they are playing members of the Massachusetts Senate and asks everyone to stand and take the oath of office. In the closing minutes, the spectator/senators are asked to vote on Judge Loring’s fate. Should he remain in office for following the letter of the law? Or should he be removed for failing to address the immorality of the Fugitive Slave Act? The group I was in voted him out.

The costumes by Marc W. Vital II are an inventive mix of authentic coats and torn jeans — sort of a hipster interpretation of the 19th century. The set by Tzu-Ching Cheng is not realistic but creative and flexible. Ethan Newman’s lighting helps create visual dynamism.

The question of whether we should obey laws we consider immoral resonates today from all sides of the political spectrum. And, as this play suggests, the answers may be right and they may be wrong. But they’re never easy.

This story was originally published January 30, 2016 at 6:29 PM.