“Laughter is Good for My Soul”
March 25
After check-in, one participant led us in the ring—a tradition where we gather in a circle to open and close each session—and then we turned our focus to reviewing play options for next season.
We reviewed a packet summarizing possible plays for next year. There was a lot of thoughtful discussion about the plays’ styles, themes, and lengths. When someone asked what “verse” meant, facilitator Kyle Fisher-Grant explained that many of Shakespeare’s plays are written in poetry-like language versus plain text. One participant expressed concern that cutting longer plays could harm their integrity, while another said, “I want to do something funny.”
There was strong interest in Romeo and Juliet and The Winter’s Tale, but participants also considered Hamlet, King Lear, Antony and Cleopatra, The Comedy of Errors, As You Like It, and Richard III. A participant mentioned how she finds inspiration from silent films she sees on the prison’s internal TV station, suggesting it as a way to study character development without relying on dialogue.
We then worked on Act 4, Scene 2 of Much Ado About Nothing. With some cast members absent, ensemble members filled in for missing roles. We focused especially on the comic interplay between Dogberry and Verges. A participant who needed help reading her lines without glasses used a "drop-in" exercise—where a facilitator fed her her lines a sentence at a time. Her spirited delivery of “you’re an ass!” was so loud and commanding that the energy of the room completely shifted—we knew the scene had landed.
We closed the night with another participant leading the ring, ending the session full of laughter and momentum.
March 27
When everyone had arrived, we began with check-in and dove straight into finalizing our play selection for next season. We passed around the handout again and asked everyone to share one or two plays they were drawn to and why. Here’s a sample of what the ensemble shared:
A Winter’s Tale: “Sounds fun... Laughter is good for my soul. It would be good to lighten up the atmosphere in here.”
Romeo and Juliet: “We haven’t had a tragedy since 2018—and it’s a story everybody knows.”
King Lear and Antony and Cleopatra: "For this woman to have that much power over a man! It flips society’s expectations."
Comedy of Errors: highlighted for its fast pacing and humor.
Richard III, As You Like It, and Hamlet also received some love.
There were debates about whether to choose a tragedy or a comedy. One ensemble member asked if we could “veer off from weddings” since so many plays end that way. Others pointed out concerns about cast size, especially with larger plays like Romeo and Juliet.
To refocus, we asked: “What do we want to give to the rest of the people in this prison? What do people want to see?” This sparked lively conversation about the importance of laughter, energy, and catharsis. Some emphasized the healing power of comedy in an environment filled with sadness. Others argued that tragedy can offer powerful, relatable emotions and shouldn’t be dismissed.
Ultimately, after much back-and-forth, we voted—and The Comedy of Errors emerged as the surprise winner! A shorter, fast-paced, hilarious show that feels like the perfect fit for both the ensemble and the audiences they want to reach.
With our decision made, we spent the rest of the evening jumping into Act 1, Scene 1 of Much Ado About Nothing. After a warm-up of Crazy 8s, we experimented with different ways to approach the text, including modern paraphrasing for easier understanding. Ensemble members worked hard, improvising, translating, and building a dynamic Benedick-Beatrice relationship that is really starting to sparkle.
One ensemble member’s character choices for Don Pedro stole the show, earning big laughs. We ended the night playing a new game called "Runway," where each actor walks across the stage as themselves, then transforms into their character. It was goofy, energetic, and joyfully embraced by the whole group.
By the time we checked out with the ring, the ensemble left still laughing—carrying that playful, collaborative spirit with them.