Not/Guilty

Not/Guilty

By: James Trofatter

In a In 1868, just under forty years after the establishment of Indianapolis, two murders were committed that put the name of the city on the lips of the national populace. The trials that took place captivated Hoosiers attention for over a year. Benjamin Harrison was the prosecuting attorney and was determined to find the central figure around which the incident revolved guilty of the crimes. That central figure was a woman named Nancy Clem. Hundreds of people testified for and against Mrs. Clem with vastly discrepant descriptions of her whereabouts on the day of the murder. She never testified. After four trials, two with convictions that were overturned, two with hung juries, Mrs. Clem was set free.

In a celebration of Indianapolis’s Bicentennial, Benjamin Harrison and Nancy Clem are rejoining in the afterlife to go at it once again to determine her guilt in this historic drama by playwright James Trofatter. The audience size for each performance will be limited to 20 guests. After the 60-minute performance, the audience may join Mrs. Clem and Mr. Harrison for a discussion about the trials, as well as provide their input regarding Mrs. Clem’s guilt.