Session Five: Week 25

Tuesday

Tonight, four longtime ensemble members and I met with a number of people on our waiting list to fill them in on exactly what we do and how we do it, and to see if they were still interested in joining.

The past two times we’ve added members, I’ve been on my own to cover everything and gauge interest. This time, however, with those four taking the lead, the meeting was more exciting, and I think their descriptions made the group sound more alluring than if I had done this alone. “You’ll get so much out of this group,” said one ensemble member. “Public speaking skills, friendship, new perspectives…” Another said, “I joined this group when I had been here for four months. Shakespeare literally saved me. I can’t say enough about that.”

Nearly all of the women at the meeting decided to join the group. When we returned to the auditorium and told the group that 13 women were going to join, there was a lot of excitement and planning about how we’re going to welcome them in.

This evening, we began to work on Act III Scene ii, the scene in which there is a celebration and a drunken fight that ends up getting Cassio fired by Othello. The group explored different ways of staging this, arriving (at least for now) at a goofy conga line dance while Iago sings his drinking songs. There was also exploration of how Iago and then Othello try to break up the fight – what is it that finally makes Cassio and Montano pull back?

We tabled the scene, then, thinking that maybe in our next meeting we’ll add our “newbies” into the scene and see how that works. We are all eager to orient them and get them involved.

Friday

The facilitators were a bit delayed getting to the group tonight, and when we arrived we found everyone chatting and getting to know each other. From this natural state, we flowed into asking our usual three questions, not only of the new members, but of those of us who are already in the group:

·  What brings you to Shakespeare?

·  What do you hope to get out of this group?

·  What is the gift you bring?

The answers to these questions ranged a great deal, but the overwhelming sentiment is that the people in our group are eager to learn new things and grow in various ways.

After this, we lowered our ring, and then we decided to play a couple of silly circle games to loosen things up and have some fun. One of the games has to do with passing energy around the circle while saying “wa!” We discovered that there are many different ways of using this one syllable, and at times it seemed like we were having a conversation or telling a story.

We provided an overview of the play for our new members, and then we dove into scene work. We made cuts together, making sure no one was left behind or bewildered, and we ended up with a very quick but effective scene between Iago and Cassio at the end of Act III Scene ii.

Tonight was also remarkable in the evident growth of one of our ensemble members. She has always been shy and reticent, but participating as much as she was comfortable; she said in answer to one of our questions tonight that she is trying to get over her shyness and wants to start a Shakespeare program of some kind after she is released. Then, in a new and exciting way, she took charge of the group, guiding everyone into consensus about working on Shakespeare rather than playing games all evening, and volunteering to replace our Desdemona if needed (since she was removed from the call out and we’re not sure she can return).

It’s always exciting to see the quieter members of the group taking ownership and being unafraid to put their ideas and opinions out there. I’m looking forward to seeing where this ensemble member goes from here.

Session Five: Week 24

Tuesday

Written by Gaia and Clearie

This past Tuesday evening, we had a bit of a smaller group, as only six ensemble members were able to attend. This provided for an intimate discussion, and the ensemble members playing Othello, Cassio, Iago, and Bianca were able to take a deeper look at Act 4 Scenes 1 and 2 . But at the same time the smaller number of ensemble members drew my attention to the fact that the number of facilitators outnumbered the ensemble.  In this moment, I felt like the difference between the outsiders of the prison institution and the insiders became physically evident.

Considering that we are the first student-facilitators in the program, we are still searching for our voice in the ensemble. For now, we think it is best to simply be observant, present and supportive.

As Othello stood up on her feet and brought this incredible work of art to life, the distance between myself as an outside, student facilitator and the incarcerated woman playing Othello seemed to dissipate.  It was in this magical, theatrical rehearsal time that the ensemble and facilitators were able to dismiss, at least momentarily, this omnipresent power dynamic and dive into the play.

Working on two beautiful scenes from Act 4 with Iago and Othello and Cassio and Bianca, both ensemble members and facilitators began jumping up, offering suggestions, diving further and further into the text, making discoveries, laughing, and creating constructively. I think a fantastic part about having a smaller group was that it allowed for the members that were there to really focus in on one scene at a time. The ensemble members were all completely invested and worked to make bold choices and direct one another from the audience.

We had fun working these scenes and doing some character development. We discussed why Iago feels the need to rush Cassio out of the room, and how well Iago has mastered the art of lying. We also explored what these characters wanted and how to find a proper build up for extreme moments like Othello’s rage bringing him into an epileptic trance (a challenging state to get to even for supremely-trained actors).

Act 4 Scene 2 was particularly fun to dive into. One of the facilitators, Kyle, remarked at how universally applicable the concepts in this scene are. The universal idea that for centuries and centuries, men have failed to understand what truly makes a woman happy. One run-through of the scene was particularly well-done and entertaining to watch. When the actors playing Cassio and Bianca were asked afterwards how they felt, they remarked lightheartedly that it brought back memories from their own past.

Despite the brief uncertainties at the beginning of the session, as soon as the script was open, it was clear that the only hegemon in the room was Shakespeare.

Friday

Written by Frannie

Tonight we began with our usual check in, a circle game, and our lowering of the ring. After this, someone asked if we could do an exercise in which we count, one person at a time, as high as we can go. It’s a very challenging exercise – the group needs to be really in sync to make it work. This group did phenomenally well, counting as high as 27 and 39 in two different attempts. One ensemble member remarked that the silence is the most important part – coming together and listening to one another. Others remarked how calming it was to do this, and how much better it made some of them feel after a stressful day.

One of our ensemble members is organizing a performance to take place soon at the prison. She has been feeling overwhelmed by the needs of the performers and asked the group for advice to help her deal with it. One of the other ensemble members remarked that she had watched this person interacting with staff during a stressful time. “I was so proud of you,” she said. “I was watching you, and you were calm.” The other woman said, “But I was burning on the inside.” We talked then about how just because you are feeling something negative, it doesn’t mean you need to express it – I reminded the group of a phrase I learned at the recent Shakespeare in Prisons conference: “I am master of my mind, not a victim of my thinking.” We can appear calm and collected if it best suits the situation, even if we are not feeling that way on the inside.

We noted that attendance has been slipping lately, and we’ve lost a few members of the ensemble. This has been a regular occurrence during the winter for the past four years, and February has always been the time when we’ve added new participants to bolster our numbers. Some in the group have trepidations about doing this, but everyone understands that it’s necessary. We talked through exactly how we should go about doing this and have come up with a solid plan, part of which needs to be approved by prison staff since it’s a bit of a change from last year. We want to be welcoming but realistic about what our group expectations are, and we want to be sure to extend the powerful, positive dynamic we have now to encircle new participants as well.

Someone then asked at what point we’ll run through the entire play. “We’ll be lucky if we can do it three times before we perform,” said a woman who was in the group last year. “That doesn’t seem like enough!” said the first woman. “Don’t panic,” said the second woman. “I panicked. It was a waste of panicking. It never seems like there is enough time, but there’s enough time.”

With that, we explored Act III Scene I on its feet. In this scene, Cassio implores Iago and then Emilia to help him get access to Desdemona, hoping she can sway Othello to give him back his job. “This is a really intense scene,” said one woman to our Cassio after the first, rather casual, run. “You want something and you’re depending on everyone else to give it to you.”

“You’ve been up all night to devise a plan… And here you are at the crack of dawn to put it in action,” said another. We then clarified the timeline for our Cassio, who hadn’t realized how quickly this scene comes after the drunken fight. “You’re grasping at straws here,” said one woman.

We ran through the scene a second time with this new input. Afterward, I asked how the actors felt. “I felt more connected. I felt more like Cassio – jittery and anxious,” said our Cassio. We talked, too about how when our Emilia lingered on and relished the word “love,” in the phrase, “he protests he loves you,” it connected with us more. We are all going to work on that as we move forward – not rushing, enjoying the language.

We then moved on to Act II Scene III, when Iago tries to get Cassio to talk dirty about Desdemona and convinces him to drink more alcohol. Why won’t Cassio talk about Desdemona in this way, we wondered after the first go. “’Cause I wouldn’t want someone talking about my woman like that,” said our Cassio, having a light bulb go off. “Let’s do it again, now,” she said eagerly, and we did. This time, Cassio tried to physically separate herself from Iago, to great effect.

One of our ensemble members told us then that she likes to sometimes close her eyes and just listen to a scene to see if it still makes sense. She said that this scene was totally clear, which is a great testament to the connection the performers felt to the language.

“I liked it,” said another ensemble member, “but it almost puts Cassio at a higher… I don’t know how to say it… He gets duped, but he seems way too smart for that to happen.” We talked then about how no one in this play lacks intelligence; Iago is just very good at manipulating people. Kyle also pointed out that perhaps what Shakespeare wants us to take away from this scene is that Cassio would never have an affair with Desdemona – it’s outlandish to think so.

We keep plugging away, making progress and working together. It will be interesting to see how adding new members to the ensemble will impact the group.

Session Five: Week 23

Tuesday

Tonight we decided to review the work that’s been done on Act I Scene iii and keep going with it. After our review, we again pondered Roderigo’s situation in this play.

Why doesn’t Roderigo suspect Iago of taking advantage of him? “He’s super focused on Desdemona,” said one woman. “He’s not thinking about anything else – he’s obsessed.”

“I fight against my own emotions and intelligence with this,” said the woman playing Roderigo.

“Even if there was a solution, you’d still be a little gloomy,” said another woman about Roderigo’s state of mind. “But sometimes false hope is the best thing,” said another.

“Well, I feel silly,” said the woman playing Roderigo. “Then you’re doing it right!” said someone else.

After going through the scene again, one woman asked if maybe we should set the whole thing in front of our curtain so that, when the scene is over, we can open it on Cyprus. The whole group was enthusiastic about this idea.

We spent some time playing a game, and then some people had to leave. We decided to work on one of Othello’s monologues with the remaining time, a monologue in which he denies feeling jealous. After one read, we all chipped in to guide our Othello to find greater truth in the piece. Her second read was much more effective, and when she finished I asked her how she had accomplished that. “You’re not gonna like it,” she said, and whispered to me, “I used the Method.”

I asked her, “Do you mean you were re-living a past experience, or were you recalling and using that past?” She answered that she had not re-lived anything, but, rather, had thought about when she felt a similar way and used that in her performance. The facilitators then clarified that this is an effective tool to use in rehearsal (often called “the magic as if”), and is not the Method and nothing to be worried about.

Readers may recall that we have had a few intense discussions about safe approaches to the material, and it’s good that this ensemble member got clarification about the tool she was using. In our program, we can’t avoid looking at our play through the lens of our own experience; it’s using that experience safely and effectively to tell a story that needs to be our focus. If we maintain that, no one should have to re-live past trauma.

Friday

Tonight began with a discussion about costumes, set, and props. We are not allowed to use military uniforms, so we had to work together to come up with something that would signify military without going against prison policy. We believe we have come up with a good solution, but that, too, will need to be approved by the prison.

Most of the ensemble members have a very clear idea of what their characters should be wearing. The woman playing Bianca emphatically stated that she should wear red even though in everyday life she doesn’t like the color – she feels that Bianca would. Our Othello had suggestions for how she could look slightly different from the other military characters.

We also talked through some problem solving about Desdemona’s smothering. I haven’t asked specific questions yet of prison staff, but I anticipate that this will be a challenge to stage while staying within the rules of the prison. We’ve come up with several solutions that I will present to staff soon.

We then continued with our blocking, beginning with Act II Scene i, in which we arrive at Cyprus in the wake of a storm. Two ensemble members whose characters don’t appear until the second act gamely took on the roles of the two gentlemen in the scene. Our Cassio seemed unsure of what she should be doing, but she knew she felt the need to move. “Well,” said a longtime ensemble member, “What do you do when you’re nervous and anxious?” Cassio answered that she paces. We decided as a group that it would be appropriate to pace and look out to sea for Othello’s ship. One person suggested that Cassio grab a telescope from Montano as well.

We have a backdrop of an ocean that was painted for our Tempest, and this same longtime ensemble member suggested that we put it at the back of the house. This suggestion was met with enthusiasm and praise for her consistently wonderful design/concept ideas over the years.

We also decided to revisit this when we’re back in the auditorium (we sometimes meet in a classroom on Fridays) so that we can explore different levels in the scene.

It was a very positive evening, and we are chugging along, figuring out how to stage our story. 

Session Five: Week 22

Tuesday

We are now partnering with Wayne State University to bring students in as facilitators. This is written by Gaia and Clearie, our very first partners. 

To be greeted with applause simply for entering the prison’s theater space was the last thing that I expected.  As a student of theater, it has been ingrained in me that a performer must work for applause.  Applause is not given simply for showing up. Applause is earned. 

Yet, after voluntarily driving forty-five minutes, turning in my ID, leaving my cell phone, crossing through a metal detector, being patted down by the prison guards, and walking across a prison yard into a world that is completely different from anything I’ve ever known, perhaps the other volunteer student-facilitator and I did earn some applause.  However, the standing ovation of the evening is owed to the women who played and continue to juggle up to five different roles daily: as ensemble members, mothers, daughters, wives, and incarcerated persons.  

We were both struck by the strength, passion, and creativity of these performers who are actively taking on the seemingly insurmountable challenge of putting on a Shakespeare production in a seemingly hopeless environment.  

The women could not have been more welcoming. Everyone acknowledged and seemed to appreciate our presence. This was so important to both of us.  

My fellow student facilitator expressed that her only reservations about coming into the incarcerated women’s production lay within her fear of intrusion. She and I shared the fear of the women perceiving us as outsiders attempting to impose on their ensemble. After such a warm welcome, it was revealed to both of us that that was a nonsensical fear. In fact, one woman made an effort to comfort us, by confessing that although she has been in prison for 13 years, she still hasn’t gotten used to the gates. 

Before check-in we had official introductions and we were asked the two questions that are asked of everyone that joins the ensemble: “What will you be bringing to the group?” and “What would you like to take away from the group?” We both answered to the best of our abilities; although I have a good feeling each of our personal goals as a student-facilitators will become clearer as we continue. 

We proceeded with check-in and the members opened up about their past few days.  Again, the stark contrast between life outside of the gates of the prison and life inside of the gates became clear even through the most mundane question, “How are you today?” 

One woman’s response to the question was extremely powerful, as she had had spent that day working as a mentor with troubled youth. Young girls came in with the Boys and Girls club to talk to prisoners in hopes that they might deviate from their current behavior. She assured the group that this scenario does not, in reality, mirror the Netflix show “Beyond Scared Straight.” The woman mentioned that she was still processing the experience but she seemed to really fear for the young girl that she talked to. 

We then joined the group in raising the circle.  It was at this point that I was struck by the beauty and power of theater to transform even the darkest spaces into spaces of light, warmth, and community. A theater exercise that I had performed countless times before left me speechless.  

As the ensemble members envisioned a circle of light above their heads, one ensemble member led the group, and we all placed our hopes and worries for the session up there, in the nebulous space above our heads.  To know that my own hopes and worries of passing exams, buying gas and groceries, were dancing next to the hopes and worries of some of these women did a great deal to put my world in perspective. We lowered the circle together, carefully balancing each other’s hopes, dreams, worries, and fears on the palms of our hands, to the floor.  After the circle was lowered, we all took a step inside of the circle, our heads bowed. It was then that the directing ensemble member instructed us to spread the contents of this circle around the space.  

It was in this space, filled with the hopes and fears of everyone in the room, that we began rehearsal.  

The excitement to delve into the script was palpable.  All of the women in the room jumped up with their scripts in hand, excitedly chatting and falling into place.  Again, by simply being present in the room during this simple run through I was able to bear witness to the transformative power of theater. 

Despite the fact that backs were given to the audience and some lines were skipped in the readings, the genuine quality of the performance was still visible.  In fact, it wasn’t just visible, it was vibrant, and it continued straight into the ensemble’s work blocking Act I, Scene III. 

There was a slight delay while the group decided who would stand-in as the officers, senators and messenger; as those had not yet been cast and we filled in the missing spaces. One of the members offered us her script and we hopped on stage. We stumbled through with books in hand, although many of the cast members have begun to memorize lines. 

After this scene a woman announced that she would like to try her hand in directing during this process. Everyone was incredibly supportive and told her that she would make an excellent director, that she had a good eye for that sort of thing. This was lovely to see! It can be hard to find an ensemble that is free from making judgments or fear of one member being superior to another. There is clearly an attempt to create a non-hierarchal group, which I believe to be an extremely important aspect of a successful production. 

We ended the meeting with a fun improv game and the raising of the ring. As we began to depart, a woman mentioned that sometimes she leaves rehearsal and still has to remind herself that she is in prison. Then, we each said our goodbyes and began our respective journeys back to our respective worlds.  

Yet, the whole ride home we reflected. We found ourselves stupefied and amazed that through this nearly four hundred year old text, people normally separated by concrete walls, barbed wire fences, and security guards were able to truly, deeply connect.  Isn’t this, we concluded, the true goal of all great works of art? To move, touch, transform, reach, resonate, and connect to the heartstrings and minds of all. 

Friday

Written by Frannie

Tonight was our first meeting after Kyle and I attended the Shakespeare in Prisons: In Practice conference, and, after checking in and supporting a group member who is really struggling right now, the ensemble asked me to share. I learned a lot at the conference, and my sharing led to an emotional conversation about the work we’re doing. I’ll share some of the ensemble members’ words.

“This group has allowed me to associate with and care about people I normally wouldn’t, and learn about how people can be… It’s made me feel normal. The fact that we’re all different makes us all normal… It’s allowed me to be myself again, for the first time in 20 years. If someone were to ask me what got me through prison, I’d say God and Shakespeare.”

“Praise is important when you’re an outcast. We get that here.”

“Being here brought me out of my shell – I had lost myself for awhile.”

“Every aspect of prison is dominated by fear and intimidation. Every aspect of our lives is controlled. This is the only place where it’s okay to be goofy, have fun, smile, and laugh. It’s something artistic, too, which is smothered in an institution. This time when I’m here, I feel like I’m not here.”

“It’s like skateboarding. I get life lessons. In skateboarding, you fall, and you get back up. But that takes a lot of hard work. Shakespeare in Prison is similar. Without Shakespeare, I wouldn’t be open to letting myself be viewed in an imperfect way. This gets me motivated for when I’ll be working – I have a sense of worth – I have something in me that may be untapped. I have to work hard and give it my best, and I get how to function on an every day basis. I might make mistakes and not meet expectations, but it’s okay – It’s okay to fail.” 

“Shakespeare in Prison gives consistency year after year. Without consistency, you can fall into the wrong things. To be given the opportunity to learn more and more… It’s more than acting, it helps you deal with people.”

“This whole process reminds me of the best part of who I used to be before I came to prison. The darkness can overwhelm… This is my light. Not only can I be that girl again, but I can be better. Whatever we’re feeling, it’s okay here.”

“Everybody needs something different, and we all get it. It’s hard to explain because it’s a feeling; sometimes there aren’t any words.”

“I was upset because I wanted more, but being here, I get it anyway. Just being here. I’m sorry for my outburst.” (This ensemble member was not cast as she hoped, and she let out her frustrations in the group. A constructive conversation was had in response, and everyone is communicating better now.)

“Shakespeare is like mining. It takes a lot of work, it’s ugly and dirty, but after awhile you get muscular, ripped, strong. You get so focused, and when you and that diamond finally get cleaned up, everything looks so good.”

“Shakespeare is like Cake Boss! You get flour and icing everywhere; it’s all messy, but when the cake is done, it’s so pretty.”

“Shakespeare is like puberty. It’s hard and confusing at first, then you get to the awkward stage, then finally there’s the end when you blossom.”

We closed our session with a fun circle game, coming together as an ensemble to get energized and have fun. While we didn’t do any Shakespeare tonight, sometimes that’s not the point. Sometimes that’s not the point at all.

Session Five: Week 21

Tuesday

Written by Frannie

Tonight was both challenging and encouraging.

We began by working on the first scene of the play. We talked about how many of us will need to learn to “walk like a man” since we’re playing men, and we tried to define exactly what that means. We came up with things like placing our weight squarely on both feet instead of resting on one hip and taking longer, purposeful strides. What it comes down to for us is that we as women apologize for our bodies with our posture much more than men do, and we need to learn to acknowledge and use the power we have.

We spent some time figuring out the entrance to this scene – we want to grab the audience’s attention right away. Some suggested an entrance through the house, down an aisle, but we abandoned that idea after trying it several times – we didn’t think we could get the audience’s attention right off the bat that way. We came up with another solution. We began to try to figure out how not to make the scene stagnant, and one woman who has simply amazing instincts for staging sort of took over, explaining and showing the way she thought the scene would most effectively move. This is the role she’s chosen for herself – to be a director rather than a performer – and she is wildly good at it. Members of the ensemble encouraged and praised her for her input. One longtime ensemble member turned to me and said, “This group gets better and better, every year.”

At a certain point, one ensemble member got up, saying “I can’t deal with this,” and began to leave. As she walked, I asked her if she was okay and if she wanted to talk. She sat down with me, and I listened to her for about 45 minutes or so. She is having a very hard time right now, feeling hopeless, and it helped her somewhat to have someone holding space for her, so I focused all of my energy on our conversation.

When the group realized that I needed to be fully absorbed in this ensemble member, they immediately took over my role as guide and helped the actors in the scene to find blocking and motivation. This is an essential part of our group dynamic – since I was the only facilitator present, but I needed to focus all of my attention on one person, the group has become empowered enough and taken enough ownership of the play to do just fine without my input.

Peripherally, while staying focused on the inmate who needed a listening ear so badly, I heard one new member of the ensemble begin to get extremely frustrated with the blocking process – she had told me before I began the one-on-one that this was challenging for her because she didn’t “have the vocabulary for it.” As she became more frustrated, I heard one longtime member reassure her, saying, “I know you’re frustrated, but try to relax. Blocking can take a long time and it’s frustrating, but we have a lot more of it to do, and you’ve got to stay calm.” After the scene had been more or less blocked, this woman was still frustrated, so the group unanimously decided to take a break.

It is extremely important to our process that we acknowledge when people are having a hard time, honor it, and try to help them deal with it. While we are not therapists, we can hold space for people and encourage them along the way. As I did this for one member of the ensemble tonight, the others did it for each other. This bodes very well for the rest of our process.

Friday

Written by Lauren

We started off today by running act one, scene one. Our Iago tried walking like a man for this scene, made the comment that "walking like a man felt weird," and admitted that she stopped during the scene because it started to make her feel self conscious.

Everyone was anxious to get to work, so as soon as they were done refreshing their memories on that, they were ready to start blocking scene two. A lot of people had ideas for this scene. One idea was the idea that at the end of the scene, the attendants should back away slowly as if they were still anticipating a fight. Most of the group was really supportive of this idea and were ready to try it.

Our Othello had an idea for the scene, too, but wasn't sure if she should say it because everyone on board for the other idea. Everyone encouraged her to share, and they ended up being able to combine the two ideas for the staging.

While we were running these ideas, one woman approached me and expressed a concern. As someone who had been in the military, she told me that the way the officers were having a "stand off" was something that would never happen in that world. While she was saying this, she said that she would also look at the action and decide if she wanted to share with the group or not. She ended up liking what she saw, and even seemed to have a fun time when she stepped in as one of the officers when we ran the scene again.

She had also expressed concern regarding the layout, as we could not see everyone who was on the stage. This was something that was shared with the group, and everyone adjusted themselves accordingly. This woman has a good eye for direction, and I was pleased when she decided to share with the group.

Tonight had a lot of good energy and everyone seemed to have great ideas to share as well as support for each other and other's ideas!