American Maverick

MISTAKEN, an original, American musical written by John Bankhead,
centers on a dramatic escape attempt from a Louisiana penitentiary.
As the play opens, Cecil, the old Cajun narrator, introduces the core
ensemble of colorful inmates. Reverend Bobby Swift, a preacher from
Oakland, in jail for fraud; Thelonious, a sugar cane field worker, killed
a man in defense of his wife, Angel; Johnny Chavez, a two-bit thief,
robbed three too many convenience stores; and, Alex Christian, a
young man thrown into prison for murder. As Johnny leads the opening
song, audience and stage are transported from the prison yard back
to the New Orleans French Quarter, where Mama Lulu (a Haitian
voodoo woman) warns Johnny of his future. Warden Smelling introduces
Alex to his new, life-long accommodations. The warden has a peculiar
baseball associated behavior, speaking in all national pastime
rhetoric - a trait he picked up, by way of a Mantle homerun to the
head, during a Yankees/Red Socks game. Alex, during visitation,
speaks to his fiancé, Joy. The birth of their child is approaching.
Alex swears to Joy he'll, somehow, be there for the delivery. Alex visits
the warden with the news of his fiancé's pregnancy and pleads with the
warden for a chance to get out for the birth. No chance. In the work fields,
Johnny and Alex are introduced for the first time. Thelonious, a self-educated
man while in jail, requests a book on William Shakespeare. Within the book,
Thelo finds his key to freedom - hidden identity. An escape plan is
hatched, utilizing a Shakespearean play staged inside the prison itself.
Thelo discusses his plan with Reverend Bobby in the prison library. As the
stage transforms into the dance hall from Thelo's hometown, he sings of
love for his wife, Angel. The first act ends with a mass visitation and an
announcement of Thelo's directorial debut, including a huge, Dixieland
number about America's favorite pastime.

Act two begins with a "dream visit" to Johnny from Mama Lulu. She
recants the tale of Johnny's predicted crime - the accidental murder of a
tourist in Jackson Square. The same crime that Alex is convicted, and in
prison for. Mama Lulu tells Johnny it's his responsibility to right the wrong.
Johnny goes to Thelo, where he is informed of the escape plan. As the
stage turns to the national headquarters of the "Tender Healin' Hands
Ministry", Reverend Bobby, in a gospel revival number, preaches to his
congregation on the subject of forgiveness. Johnny receives a visit from
Rougon, his bookie, letting him know that his "time is up." Crystal, Johnny's
stripper girlfriend, visits Johnny to ask him of their future together. Thelo
sings of his big dream before Mama Lulu's second, nighttime visit to Johnny.
She explains "the balance" he's thrown off. Lulu visits Alex's cell, where she
sings to "chase away his fear" as he sleeps. Reverend Bobby is asked by the
warden to "look out" for the other prisoners and tries to cut the reverend a
deal. Warden Smelling informs the reverend that his house, in the Oakland
Hills, is up for auction, and, what a shame it is for him to loose it. Reverend
Bobby tells Thelo of the warden's conversation and finalizes the escape plans.
The stage transforms to the bayous of Mamou for Cecil's zydeco number
showing the way to eat crawfish. Mama Lulu and Crystal share a "jump blues"
number touting the virtues of a good man outside Crystal's "Bottoms-Up Club."
In the prison yard, Johnny fills Alex in on the escape plan. He tells him it's the
only way for him to witness the baby's birth. The inside play is ready. On the
evening of the performance, Joy discovers new information found by her
attorney, Mr. Jennings, that will exonerate Alex from the crime. Unfortunately,
the play and escape have begun. Oblivious to the events at hand, she decides
to deliver the message in the morning. During the inside play, "Much Ado
About Nothing" a masked party takes place; creating the exit for our core
ensemble. All characters converge at the end, building to an exciting climax
with a surprising, explosive outcome.

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