The Veronica

A Rehearsed Screenplay Reading

Based on the true incident of a notorious, murderous mutiny which took place in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and led to a sensational trial in Liverpool, England, 1903.

Gustav Rau, a German seamen on the ship instigated and implemented the brutal murders of seven other men on the barque Veronica. With the assistance of the other German nationals -- Willem Schmidt, Otto Monsoon and Heinrich Flohr -- Rau felt he had succeeded. However, his "mistake" was sparing the life of an African-American named Moses Thomas, the ship's cook. Through Thomas's testimony and the evidence turned over by Flohr, the shocking nature of the killings and the motives behind them are what made the trial such a fascination in its day.

Through court transcripts, newspaper accounts and linguistic research to convey the language of the day, Miyashiro fashions a screenplay that addresses a still relevant question of ethics, compromise and survival.

The Veronica is a telling piece with dramatic heft.