Hank Morris took questions from the media. Unless they are about his new musical "Turtle on the Fence". (The title of the show is currently in preview, an old saying from Bill Clinton.)

Morris was a powerful political adviser until Andrew Cuomo, the then New York Attorney General, sued him for participating in the kickback program. In the first scene of the early preview version of Morris's show about his two-year imprisonment, the character Morris-thin, silver-haired, and wearing glasses-is surrounded by narrow-eyed reporters. He stood in the center of the stage under the blue spotlight, while the reporter character leaned against his side with a spiral-bound notebook, barking at him. A man wears a bow tie and a pork pie hat. 

"I hate questions," Morris told them. Then he began to sing a song to prove it. "Sometimes, the answer that this character doesn't like is really important," the real Morris told me, "not a question." However, he added, "I don't think it's fun for anyone to answer the same question over and over again. ." 

Journalists often appear on Morris shows-instead of the apparent opponent Andrew Cuomo, he has only appeared once on stage, in a dreamy scene (worn in a brown leather jacket and khaki baseball cap). On two occasions, four reporters circled Hank ominously. One is holding a prop digital camera, and the other is holding a shoulder-mounted video camera. The third holds the NBC microphone and the fourth holds the notebook. "We want to see what happens when you cry," they sang.

"Look, I don't think this industry is single, I think there are a lot of great people," Morris said of his attitude towards the media. "But I think there is a lot of group thinking." And he believes he is an expert. At the peak of Morris’s career as a political consultant, he said, “I used to talk to 20 of you every day.” 

The disclaimer in the leaflet reminds the audience that "The turtle... is a fictional story inspired by real events." He did not give up any part of the plea agreement. If it seems to be the case, it is "unintentional, denial and denial." 

Morris’s musical reflects his own concern for the truth. According to Morris, the news media rarely fully understand the truth. He believes that the "New York Times" is "the bible of news organizations." But he said that when his cousin, the doctor, read this paper, he found that "things about science are incorrect. When he read an article about drama, entertainment, or politics, he took it as Gospel. I’m not a scientist at all. But I’m a political fan. Every time I read an article—without exception—there are actual errors, let alone interpretation errors. But when I’m in the New York Times When I read an article about science, I thought it was 100% correct."

Unlike the New York Times or the Bible, in this regard, Morris's advantage lies in the comprehensive disclaimer. As far as verifiable facts are concerned, he doesn't even have to try to get it right. But he can attract the audience through songs, dance music, Cuomo cosplay promises and the authenticity of the order: we cannot guarantee that all of this is true, but some are true! 

Morris' musicals have received a lot of media attention. By telling his story with lyrics and lighting, Morris played a game with the New York media. He is an unconventional script, but perhaps it can be emulated by other publicly abusive white-collar criminals in the world: Instead of trying to get the New York Times to tell your story, let it report that you are telling your story. At this address, This time, this price. 

"People's lives are not interesting narratives," said Austin Nuckols, the musical composer. "You have to find a way to carve the clay into a beautiful pot. You can tell it exactly, like, you have a piece of clay. It's like, um, I mean, it's clay, of course. But I don't want to see it. . It’s very important for people to see it." 

In the preview of the first night of the show, theater enthusiast Cliff Bass sat in the front row of the audience, who had just returned from a theater tour in London. Reading the public statement of the leaflet (titled "Andrew and Me"), the semi-retired lawyer Buss told me, "It's almost like a placard you see at a Supreme Court hearing. Someone is holding it outside. The logo is poking. I was wronged. It's not fair." 

In an early scene in the show, Morris's phone suddenly rang Cuomo's phone, and he ignored it. The ensemble begged him to answer. "Do you really think Cuomo has harassed this guy many times?" Bass wonders from the audience. "I mean..." ("You can call many people in my politics and they will answer this question," Morris said.)

"When Andrew Cuomo was not running, Hank angered him," Morris's wife's character said later. "Do you really think Cuomo threw this man in jail because he didn't answer the phone?" Bass Wonder. "I mean..." ("I can't tell his motives," Morris said. "People now know the real Andrew and can judge for themselves whether he is telling the truth.")

Morris hopes that the show will bring two "very specific practical things": parole reforms, and letting the media "do things they have never done before"-a detailed and sober account of Andrew Cuomo's political career and record Review.

In addition, Morris wants us to know: "The truth is a difficult thing to figure out and learn. I hope people realize from this incident that they should take a serious look at what they think they know for sure." Morris' show is not news. It's easier to see. And it’s easier to accept, because the audience is explicitly allowed to leave whatever they believe they want. 

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Above: The cast of A Turtle On a Fencepost. Photo by Jeremy Daniel

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