One student was so nervous about entering the prison prior to a workshop that she threw up in the San Quentin parking lot. ), (I struggle silently with the weight of this for another few seconds, as Maverick appears to do the same.). LeMar Harrison, or "Maverick" as he identifies himself, is a musician, lyricist, actor, and father. These actors had a wealth of advice and information to share with the young men, particularly John Windham, who spent part of his youth at O. H. Close. As more men joined the group, we got up on our feet, creating statues representing each others feelings when we are being creative, and group statues representing Creativity., I then introduced the idea of Augusto Boals Theater of the Oppressed, specifically an exercise Boal calls Forum Theatre. A couple of the men had heard of Boal; one had just been reading about him. TH: But, talk about pressure, though! LeMar was a scared kid who went along with things and, yes, I know I am LeMar, but I like Maverick because Im not that same person, anymore. The Marin Shakespeare Company has sponsored Shakespeare productions at San Quentin State Prison since 2003. Their greatest concerns are water and wild fires. Infectious disease is an ongoing concern at San Quentin. To make a donation in support of Shakespeare at San Quentin,click here, Marin Shakespeare Company 415.499.4488 Forest Meadows Amphitheatre 890 Belle Ave. San Rafael, CA, 94901, Videos, Creative Writing, Success Stories. We discussed the idea that the farmer could have offered to invest in a public information campaign to encourage his customers to use less water so that there would be more available for his crops, thus keeping food prices down. Marin water supplier, union at odds over wage, benefit proposals Prison Bridges - a 12 minute video about Shakespeare at San Quentin and the healing power of arts in corrections, by David White (2012) Now, of course, we found out we couldnt put that full show up on Youtube, because of all the copyright restrictions. Then the prison stopped the acting program from sending in videos, so the program started sending in educational packets, to enhance the mens creative skills. TH: It sounds like they took into account what you were doing, and were willing to honor what you were doing while you were away. At the end of the class, after a round of appreciations, there was another Alarm. We watched as an ambulance pulled up to the entrance of the housing unit across from the Art Room. He was a lot stronger than I was. We dont use words like inmate or prisoner because no one should be defined by having been convicted of a crime. And Level 2 is minimum security the point where you start transitioning to be able to go home. It was the first time I ever learned the gravity and the true impact of Shakespeare. by Lesley Schisgall Currier June 16, 2021 See below for additional installments! It was painful to hear about the challenges they had faced, when there is so little we can do to alleviate the bulk of their suffering. Maverick: The levels are run on a points system. To see videos of Shakespeare performances, Stories from San Quentin performances, Veterans plays, Creative Writing from the Inside, and photographs, and to hear actors discuss how Shakespeare has changed their lives, click here. And if youre against us, were going to kill you. Thats the same situation that I was in except that Marc Antony chose better than me. Actors started calling out stop, suggesting a change, and stepping into the scene. TH: Well, there is a lot in that story that merits being proud about, and a couple things that you just mentioned are actually pretty big moments, on their own. All his now, theyre not ex-skinheads, many of them are still involved in that but even they were coming up to me, every day after that, saying, Bro- bro, that was great, bro! Been locked up since 1996. Well, backing up: I was in the County Jail from 96 to 2000, fighting my case because I was fighting the death penalty, and by the grace of God I didnt get it but, I started at SQ in Reception, then they sent me to Corcoran the Substance Abuse Treatment Facility or SATF, and from there I went to Tehachapi, and from there Old Folsom, then Solano, and then from Solano I ended up in San Quentin. This actor, who spent his youth in abusive foster care situations said, America cant right their wrongs with me, but they want me to right their wrong with them. Society did not protect this young man, but now society wants to be forgiven its sins. Throwback Thursday at Marin - Marin Shakespeare Company | Facebook Some of the men talked about how if they say what they really want to, they will be in danger of being transferred to another prison as a punishment. After each table-read, Id go back over it, and figure out what music needed to be where. When the scene was stopped, I asked the audience members to suggest a change that one character could make. Wildfire smoke can harm human health, even when the fire is burning I asked him to let me know how we could support his work and he said he would. When Marin Shakespeare returned to San Quentin, the first classes centered on conversations about how the residents experienced the quarantine. I talked about the Contemporary Monologues project weve been doing, hiring actors who have survived incarceration to find contemporary monologues to add to our curriculum in prisons, and I shared a handout with a few examples. Im just trying to get a job, and meanwhile Im doing odd jobs and just breaking my back because Im afflicted with I may look young, but my body I feel like Im Benjamin Button. The students often came in with little knowledge of prisons. I reminded the men that their lived experience, and the time the they have put into self-reflection and self-healing is incredibly valuable, and that the world needs them. Shakespeare in Prison People getting ready to go before the parole board gather Support Letters to help make the case that they are ready to be released from prison. The men also write and perform autobiographical theatre pieces inspired by themes from Shakespeare, a Parallel Play which we call Stories from San Quentin. Since 2014, we have also worked with incarcerated Veterans each year to create an hour-long play about issues of importance to them, in partnership with Veterans Healing Veterans from the Inside Out. At first, we were told we could only send in videos, so we hired some professional actors including six actors who have survived incarceration to create a series of Romeo and Juliet videos, a reading of the play with commentary and reflection questions. Big Az was on a PBS special called Life of the Law, and he told that same story, about me picking him up: he chose that one to be on PBS. Thankful to Lesley and Marin Shakes for, uh, opening their family to me, because thats exactly what it is. Because, when you get sentenced, and youre introduced into reception, they have a process they go through to determine How serious of a criminal is he? Shakespeare at San Quentin is a program of Marin Shakespeare Company. In subsequent iterations, the government official offered a bottle of water, then two gallons of water, and then a swimming pool full of water. Rauch, an actor who has been in our groups for many years, has often exhibited mental stress due to intense traumas suffered as a child in the foster system. Maverick: They didnt only honor it they wanted me out and essentially told me, Society needs someone like you, especially the younger generation, and I was like, Ok. He calmly pushes the words forward. One class, one of the Teaching Artists engaged him in a conversation that killed his buzz. But after that, he stopped getting high before class, and now he said he is ready to participate fully, and wants to be clear-headed to do that. Returning to San Quentin Post-Pandemic - June 17, 2021 (day two) Level 4 being maximum security, guns everywhere, riots and everything you move the wrong way, youre going to get shot. The discussion turned to how we can use theatre to shed light on the truth. The original caretakers of this land are the Coast Miwok people. Im just very thankful. Another person spoke about how the government pays some farmers to throw food away. Im borrowing money for gas just so I can get to jobs, and I cant even take my son out, (Mavericks voice catches, here. Maverick: So, thats due to your sentence, and how many years you have to do. And if youre not part of it, you can end up like the person whos being violated. B We did some fist-bumping and some long hand-shaking as we reconnected with men who were glowing with excitement to see us. We now have two Shakespeare groups, each of which performs an annual performance of a Shakespeare play. Especially at the age of 19. We offer Drama Therapy inspired programs that give participants opportunities for Shakespeare Study and Performance. To make a request to attend a Shakespeare in Prison performance, click here. They gave me a family and a home inside prison to escape the dark negative landscape that I was trapped in. We were inspired by the work of Curt Tofteland, whose program was documented in the film "Shakespeare Behind Bars". Mac was talking about local government officials and how much power they had over the decisions about which farmers would get water during the drought. So I told the men how great it would be for Marin Shakespeare Company to facilitate their sharing their wisdom with the world when they leave prison. We were inspired by the work of Curt Tofteland, whose program was documented in the film Shakespeare Behind Bars. Trying to its a lot. Maverick: Oh, I have never had so many free people come up after and tell me, Thank you for this I needed this right now! They were all looking for an outlet to celebrate Princes life; it it made me feel like I did something. The theatre they create is recorded and shared on YouTube. They asked if we could bring the video in to show them that will take a lot of paperwork with the staff to accomplish, but we will try! As inmates at San Quentin State Prison, Rodney "RC" Capell, "Losdini" and Chris Marshall are far from innocent youth trapped in the throes of a bad foster care system. All the World's a Stage -- Even San Quentin | RealClearPolitics Shakespeare provides the perfect inspiration for looking deeply at the complexities of human motivation and the aspiration for understanding and forgiveness. Throwback Thursday at Marin Shakespeare Company! We didnt have the avenue anymore and we didnt know if we were going to get it back, he said. Hurt people hurt people. Did we want to go back to rehearsing Othello, which we had been almost ready to perform in March of 2020? I suggested that if there are issues we know we want to explore in the play, this exercise could help us see many different perspectives. But a couple of beautiful bloomings had occurred during our time away. The conversation covered Mavericks crime, conviction, his time in California prisons, and his recent parole. Clickhere to view 2015 videosfrom San Quentin: Julius Caesar Macbeth Theatre of War, an original theatre piece created and performed by incarcerated veterans from Veterans Healing Veterans from the Inside Out, under the direction of Lesley Currier. The surprise of original theater - San Quentin News We published writing we received back on our website and hired Returned Artist to record performances of some of the writing, creating a Creative Writing from Inside video which we sent back into the prisons and shared on YouTube and with our patrons. Some of the men seemed just as we remembered them. I rapped the story, and the other actors performed the action. As it turns out, almost all of the men in this group are either in one or the other classes this week, or turned up for them anyway. TH: Thats a lot of moving around. TH: Maverick, I just want you to know that I hear what you are saying and I respect how hard this must be. At Marins Community School, we paired Returned Artist Eric Abercrombie with four students who worked one-on-one by zoom on creative projects. By Sam Hurwitt | IJ correspondent PUBLISHED: June 21, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. | UPDATED: June 22, 2023 at 10:21 a.m. , Shakespeare at San Quentin student Ray Ray on what kept , by Lesley Schisgall Currier June 16, 2021 See below for additional installments! May of 1996, to be exact. Theatre isnt going to solve all of our problems, but we can use theatre for anything. The men at San Quentin are using theatre to heal themselves and each other, to wrestle with some of societys greatest problems, and to share their wisdom with the world. We always approach the actors in our classes as creative beings. Maverick: Yeah. For Steve Beecroft, it was on a stroll in Mill Valley's Old Mill Park when he stumbled upon the auditions . But Julius Caesar that one was the first time I really got serious with a Shakespeare part also the first time they cast me as a dramatic lead, instead of a more love-struck pretty-boy. He and I clicked, and became partners in rhyme,. Today, after 15 months without setting foot inside a prison, we returned to San Quentin to teach our first class. TH: And, do you mind do you mind sharing what it was you went away for? As we waited for more men to join the group, I asked what the men thought about Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday the day before, with today the first official national celebration. We looked into peoples eyes, over the tops of our masks, and saw mostly joy and calm. We also hired Returned Artists to participate in trainings for our Teaching Artists who work in prisons, and to help put together a resource of contemporary monologues we could take inside. And in watching the documentaries of Princes life and music, I realized (as I was tearing up, in prison, wondering What is this salty discharge!? We are considered volunteers (although our Teaching Artists are paid) because the CDCR does not hire us. Creativity was blossoming. One of the worst is that a Black man born in the U.S. today has a 1 in 4 chance of being incarcerated during his lifetime. But, really, anything, to tell you the truth. In telling their stories, they are hoping to heal themselves and others. The Juvenile Lifer Bill changed the game dramatically for people who were in my position people who went to jail at an early age, when they were teenagers and because of science and the way that society has shifted now, the lawmakers changed the law. Leaving the prison, Tina and I were exhilarated and exhausted. Stories from San Quentin 2013 - Marin Shakespeare Company After the exercise was over, the group kept talking about ways to resolve the problem. Marin history: San Quentin's shady past Shakespeare at San Quentin In the News - Marin Shakespeare Company And, you know, there arent too many people trying to hire an ex-con, let alone a felon, uh, uh, someone who committed murder, and Im Im drowning. Dominican University Professor Perry Guevara on Visiting Shakespeare at You may wonder why men have access to drugs in prison, and that is another story. You know, because, I wasnt who I am now when I first walked through that door and saw my fellow inmates pretending to be butterflies, or playing sound-ball. !), I learned that Prince had had a bigger effect on me, and others, than I thought. You have all my hopes that things continue to improve and that you are able to keep establishing that foundation. This centers the importance of white men.