Al Cleveland Joins Forces With We Amplify Voices on His New Play

By Tiera Suggs, director of storytelling at We Amplify Voices.

WAV started to work with Al Cleveland to help with his original play, The Lynched Among Us, by providing music to back the performance. We chatted with him about his work – focused on wrongful conviction, reentry and redemption – ahead of its Feb. 15 performance at the Lincoln Theatre.

Tiera: Al, tell us about yourself and how you got involved with We Amplify Voices.
Al: I am an all-around artist who loves various mediums of expression, from painting, to music, to writing, to woodworking, to poetry, theater and more. I served 26 years on a wrongful conviction with three others known as The Ohio 4. While incarcerated I used the arts to express myself and let my voice be heard despite the circumstance and efforts to suppress it.

I became involved with WAV through a symposium I was asked to be a part of, sponsored by OSBF, at the Ohio Statehouse.

Tiera: What motivated you to do work with Voices of Injustice?
Al: Wrongful convictions are a huge problem in our society. When I was released, I saw that most people don’t actually know what goes on with wrongful convictions or how they happen. They just see the release of these individuals and the victorious part on the news.

Tiera: Can you describe the process of transforming these stories into impactful plays and storytelling performances?
Al: When I listen to the stories of those wrongfully convicted, I am often outraged by some of the foolishness that takes place by those in charge. I don’t quite understand how society is not equally outraged by some of this behavior, but I think if they let themselves be outraged then they’ll be forced to act. So alternatively, we find ways to justify the wrongdoing in our minds, like a buffer.

Tiera: What are the primary goals you now have?
Al: To simply tell the stories and educate the public. Our secondary goal is to create a traveling production that we can take on the road and perform at theaters across Ohio and the country. We want to accomplish this by building our own sets, producing stories of the exonerated from particular regions, and then producing these stories and adding them to our performance in that region.

Tiera: How did your experience of injustice shape your understanding of systemic issues within the criminal justice system?
Al: My experience of injustice had everything to do with my understanding of systemic issues within the justice system. Prior to this happening to me, I never thought something like this actually took place, I believed that truth prevailed, that officers were upstanding, that the courts always got to the bottom of the truth, and that if you were in that defendant’s seat there must be a reason. I didn’t realize this was untrue; my eyes were opened that had been asleep all my life, and I saw that, unfortunately, the drama of injustice is being is being meted out and performed on a life stage by bad actors aiming to win by any means.

Tiera: What role do you see yourself playing in advocating for policy changes and systemic reforms within the criminal justice system?
Al: My role and purpose is singular: TO END WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS.

Tiera: What are some of your favorite things about Columbus?
Al: Columbus to me represents what every capitol should be: the heartbeat of the state! When I think of Columbus, I think of a place that is the center of everything. Its diversity is what I love the most, with a rich mix of many cultures and classes living in harmony together. I love that.

Tiera: What are some of your favorite places or events in Columbus?
Al: Columbus to me represents what every capitol should be: the heartbeat of the state! When I think of Columbus, I think of a place that is the center of everything. Its diversity is what I love the most, with a rich mix of many cultures and classes living in harmony together. I love that.

Tiera: Do you have any other favorite Columbus performers or storytellers?
Al: We were hoping to have Amber Knicole from MojoFlo in this one; she’s such a powerful force and has been part of our production since the inception. She was in a story that, because of time constraints, we chose to postpone until a future date, but we’ll definitely be doing it and are all excited for her role in it.

See Al Cleveland’s original play, The Lynched Among Us, on Saturday, Feb. 15 at the Lincoln Theatre.

This article is part of a bi-weekly column brought to you by the Greater Columbus Arts Council as part of the Art Makes Columbus campaign. Explore a calendar of events, public art database and artist stories at columbusmakesart.com. To learn more about GCAC grants visit gcac.org.