Ferguson: The Verbatim Play

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Ferguson is a play by filmmaker and journalist Phelim McAleer and is a verbatim play.  Verbatim is a format which utilizes real dialogue and documentation from some of the biggest court cases and events in the United States. This verbatim play presents word-for-word dialogue from the Grand Jury that chose not to indict Police Officer Darren Wilson for the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014.

Ferguson features 13 actors portraying 20 different characters, from prosecutors, eyewitnesses, experts, and more. The play was performed in both Los Angeles and New York. The first production in Los Angeles faced difficulty when nine cast members walked out before the play premiered. Both premieres were widely well-reviewed by a number of outlets, right and left, despite the initial controversy. McAleer emphasized the importance of the production to TheWrap: “I just felt that the truth wasn’t being told. I care a lot about the truth.” 

The LA Weekly called the play “divisive” but “riveting.”  The play debuted online with the Daily Wire. 

Relevant Media:

Ferguson Play in LA Sees Actor Exodus, The Hollywood Reporter

Ferguson Play The Prompted Cast Walkouts In Los Angeles Comes to New York, Wall Street Journal

Controversial ‘Ferguson’ play survives premiere with a brand-new cast, Los Angeles Times

Ferguson: A Dramatist Corrects Journalists, National Review