(WIVT/WBGH) KNOW Theatre is opening a play this week that asks the audience to look beyond initial appearances.

Coyote on a Fence by Bruce Graham takes place in a maximum-security prison in the Southern U.S. It follows two convicted murderers on death row, a prison guard and a writer for the New York Times. One inmate is a white supremacist while the other is a writer who writes obituaries for the prison newspaper.

The production is directed by KNOW Theatre Artistic Director Tim Gleason. Gleason says KNOW’s mission is to not only entertain, but also spark discussions and introspection. He says the drama offers no clear verdict, only compelling theater.

“Hopefully people are leaving here with some thoughts about what happened to the people inside the play. The sneaky thing about good acting is that if you really do that, the truth comes through and when you’re being very truthful up there, you can’t help but get into the hearts and minds of the audience,” said Gleason.

Coyote on a Fence stars Joe Hoffman, Adam Holley, Qiana Watson and Mitch Tiffany. It’s running for the next three weekends with showtimes at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. on Sundays.
Tickets are $25, $20 for seniors and $15 for students and can be purchased at knowtheatre.org. There’s also a pay-what-you-can night on Thursday September 21 at 8 p.m.