Natural Life

Natural Life by Eduardo Ivan Lopez tells the tale of a death row inmate convicted of murder. But unlike the heroes of The Exonerated, she is guilty of the crime. The play is inspired by a true incident in the 1980’s.

The play centers on the relationship between the convict, named Claire, and a highly principled TV reporter named Rita, who earns Claire’s confidence while covering her story. Rita’s objectivity is challenged when she discovers the mitigating circumstances that drove Claire to commit her crimes. Claire’s is a story of shocking abuse, forced prostitution, alcoholism, violence and desperate but ill-fated attempts at redemption. In Rita’s effort to “set the record straight,” she bonds with the inmate.