NOW PLAYING IN NY: ​“The Two Lives of Napoleon Beazley,” a Play by John Fleming

“The Two Lives of Napoleon Beazley”

is a new play by John Fleming that explores the true sto­ry of a

17-year-old African-American defen­dant who was sen­tenced to death for a

car­jack­ing and mur­der in Texas. The vic­tim was the father of a federal

judge. Using a vari­ety of fac­tu­al resources, including court

tran­scripts and media accounts, the play exam­ines race and the criminal

jus­tice sys­tem before the Supreme Court ruled in 2005 that the death

penal­ty for juve­niles vio­lates the Constitution. Beazley was one of the

last juve­nile offend­ers exe­cut­ed in the U.S.

The Austin Chronicle writes that ​“The Two Lives of Napoleon Beazley” is:

The

most impor­tant play to see in Texas right now.… Voicing all the

oppos­ing view­points on the issues of racism, judi­cial nepo­tism, ageism,

and cap­i­tal pun­ish­ment, [this play] presents the story dramatically

with heart­break­ing scenes that are not at all con­trived or insincere.

Fleming’s well-knit play unfolds effort­less­ly before us, evoking pathos

for injus­tice.


The play is cur­rent­ly hav­ing its New York City Premiere at the Flamboyan Theater of the Clemente Soto Velez Center, 107 Suffolk Street, NY. For more infor­ma­tion, vis­it:

​“The Two Lives of Napoleon Beazley“
Flamboyan Theater at the CSV Cultural Center
107 Suffolk Street
NY, NY
Feb 21 – March 16. Thurs.- Sat. @ 8pm, Sun @ 7pm
(Posted February 28, 2008). See Juveniles and Multi-media.