Session Six: Week 11

Friday

Tonight began with a longtime member of the ensemble sharing with us that, due to a pretty big workload leading up to her release, she will be leaving Shakespeare. A few of us shared what her presence and work has meant to us and to the group as a whole – we made sure she knew how much we have appreciated her. One ensemble member even did a song and dance.

Two ensemble members who have been absent lately told us that they are making a “renewed commitment” to the program. “The first time I laughed good was in here,” said one of them. They have both been having a rough time but feel it’s better to show up and hope for a distraction from the things that are overwhelming them.

Some group members suggested that we play a game, so we did! The game we played is one in which the group sits in a circle and sends questions around, making eye contact and trying to maintain focus, without answering any questions. After we started playing for elimination, it finally got down to the group’s unofficial reigning champion and the ensemble member who is leaving. The latter won, to much applause!

We then decided to do some scene exploration while sitting in a circle. The original goal was to do this tagging in and out of scenes, although we shifted to monologue work and that didn’t end up happening. We also talked a bit about casting – identifying three roles (at least) that interest each person so that if we don’t get our first choices, we won’t be totally disappointed. One woman said she is interested in playing one of the murderers because she has mental illness that causes her to relate. She says she works hard to be positive and constructive, but “on the inside sometimes I feel the opposite. It feels good to let some of it out.”

We then focused on Buckingham’s monologue before he is executed. The first person to perform said afterward that she wants to practice the piece more. I asked her how it made her feel. “To me… It sucks. He really gave up,” she said. Kyle asked her what she thinks the character wants. “He wants the audience to know that it all could have been different,” she said. “He knows he did this to himself by being with the wrong person.” Kyle said that, to him, it’s uplifting that he “gets it.”

The woman continued, “It sucks because he gets it, like, a minute too late… As an addict, I saw people who almost had it but missed it, and they died. I can relate to looking at that reflection and saying, ‘Damn, I did all that?’”

Another woman said, “He knows he did wrong, but he also plants the seed for someone else to do right. He didn’t do anything to go to the chopping block… ‘I’m being sent by somebody I thought was my friend. I’m not innocent, but I don’t deserve this.’ He’s warning other people to beware and make the right decisions.”

That woman then tried the monologue. Afterward, she was disappointed, saying, “I didn’t do it the way I wanted to do it. I knew when those points were… I don’t know why it wouldn’t come out. Maybe because I wasn’t standing.” We assured her that that’s always the way early reads go – they are never exactly how you want them to be – and that maybe she has a point and should stand the next time she works on the piece.

Further pondering the monologue, she said, “When I was in court – you know when you get to say what you get to say before you get here… This feeling I get so well from that day… I thought I would say something better… But I said, ‘I don’t need you to feel sorry for me.’ That day, you die. Maybe a new you is born, but that day you die.”

The first woman then read the piece again. She said it felt better that time. “Seeing other people do it gives you insight into where the rhythm is. There are so many layers in it.”

“Oh, no. This is not what I’m gonna sound like when I die,” said the second woman who read the piece. “Does anyone ever feel like they’ve gone too far in life?”

“That’s why we’re here,” another woman said quietly.

Session Six: Week 10

Tuesday

Written by Frannie

Last week, the group discussed how much they admired the depth that the men in the Shakespeare Behind Bars documentary achieved in their acting, and we talked about how we might approach our material to get that effect without having to re-live trauma. I am very fond of Michael Chekhov technique as a safe and liberating method of acting, and I asked everyone if they’d like to give it a try. They did.

So tonight we began with a Chekhov warm up to get our energy flowing and our bodies active. When we were done, I asked everyone how they felt. They said they felt more energized and connected to their bodies, and some expressed a feeling of relief and freedom. “It took away my anxiety,” said a person who has shared with the group that she has pretty debilitating anxiety.

After I explained a bit about where we would go from here with the technique, and everyone agreed that they want to keep exploring it, we got back to our reading of the play. We are eager to get through to the end so we can begin putting scenes on their feet.

Act Four, scene five, didn’t engender a lot of discussion. We made sure everyone understood the plot points and moved on to Act Five, scene one, in which Buckingham is led to his death and ponders his own responsibility in his downfall. Many participants said that they liked the way he processed everything. “You’d never catch Richard doing this,” said one woman.

We moved on to Act Five, scene two, which is very brief and introduces us to Richmond. Some felt that the scene could be cut, and we discussed why it’s there in the first place – the pacing of the play really picks up toward the end and the focus bounces back and forth between Richard and Richmond. “We’re getting to know Richmond better,” said one person. “We’re seeing that there’s an option other than Richard.”

Then we read Act Five, scene three, in which we go back and forth between Richard’s and Richmond’s camps and the ghosts of Richard’s victims haunt him and praise Richmond. This scene engendered a lot of discussion.

The woman who read Richard’s conflicted monologue following the visitation said, “I felt like I was looking for something that I need and cannot find.” Another woman said, “He’s getting soft. It’s not like him to be scared – or feel anything.”

“I think he’s covered with guilt and it’s haunting him,” said someone else. “These people are showing up in his dreams and want him to die.” Another woman said, “This is the first time he’s actually faced his deeds… This is the first time he realizes ‘I did all this… for this?’”

“… and I still don’t have what I want,” continued the first woman. “He had just one goal and didn’t think it through. I don’t see someone like that as remorseful. I just don’t.” Kyle pointed out that Richard wouldn’t feel the stress if the ghosts hadn’t shown up. “I should feel bad,” said one woman. “Kind of like an addict.”

“In the beginning, he was alone. He ends how he starts. He’s angry, not afraid,” said another woman.  She said that this is her favorite part of the play, and we asked her why. “Because the ghosts finally have a voice against evil,” she said. “And it’s fair to say that even though he’s not remorseful, it’s the first time these people matter – he finally stops to think long enough to feel bad about it. I don’t think he’s vulnerable. I think he’s angry. Things just didn’t go his way.” Another woman agreed, saying, “He’s very disturbed.”

The woman who made the comment about Richard being like an addict drew another parallel and said, “I was angry at the court when they took my kids away because of my addiction. I was the martyr of the world because everyone was against me.” She readily admitted that she had actually been the one at fault, and that she now has clarity that she didn’t have in the midst of her addiction.

“I do the opposite,” said another woman. “When people are upset and I should be understanding, I find myself saying, ‘I’ve been through all this and can wake up and put a smile on my face.’ But why do I do this? I should never compare.”

“I relate to Richard,” said someone else. “All my life, my family would tell me that I was bad, so I acted bad. It gave me an excuse to do vile things. I started thinking that I was evil and did really bad stuff - because people told me I was bad. It took a lot of therapy to realize that that’s a choice I have to make. I’m not evil. I’m good, and I have a good heart. I’m not Richard.”

The woman who said this is her favorite scene pondered whether Richard is making excuses or justifying what he did. The group believes it is both.

“Richard feels his pain,” said one woman who’d been rather quiet. “I identify with him in that way because when I was little, people would say mean things [about her skin color; she is very dark skinned], and that’s why I know how to fight. After a while, I just took it. But then I started amplifying it majorly. And I would sit and think about how I could hurt you. If I felt not dominant, not number one, if you were stronger than me, then I would attack you physically. And that’s how I feel Richard is. I see him holding in things that have hurt him and amplifying it out onto everyone else. And he doesn’t tell anyone."

… Except the audience, we reminded ourselves. Unfortunately, our conversation was cut short, as we’d run out of time, but it’s clear that this play is going to continue to bring about very personal insight and understanding of ourselves and others, which is exactly what we want.

Friday

Written by Kyle.

I went in alone tonight, which always makes me feel self-conscious, like I’m going to mess the whole thing up in one night.  Everything went off without a hitch, but the ensemble knows how I feel about it and likes to poke fun at me being the substitute teacher.

The conversation with a long-time member that was very frank.  She is considering quitting the program because she is having so many personal and family problems. She says that she doesn’t want to put the group through that again and bring all that negativity to the group.  I told her that the group would be fine and she could show up no matter how she was feeling.  I tried very hard to be impartial about the whole thing and not lean one way or the other.  I told her that I didn’t have the answer to her problems, and that no one did, but that keeping an open heart and mind would be the key.  So she should engage in the behaviors that would keep those two things open.  At the end of it I told her that she should give herself a deadline.  If she still feels this way by Christmas she will have spent half the program wishing she would quit and that would be her answer; if not, then she will be glad she didn’t rush the judgment with something irreversible.  It seemed to help, and I wonder if we will see her again on Tuesday.

We finished the play tonight and had a small discussion about how Richard was not afforded a death speech.  The consensus was that it depended on how we staged the final fight scene, but that according to the text it ends kind of abruptly.

After the the play finished, an ensemble member asked immediately if she could get a scene up on its feet.  You could tell she was waiting to do this scene and chomping at the bit to perform it.  She chose Clarence’s death scene.  I was glad she asked, and it is cool to see the ensemble so excited to perform.  I challenged them to use the whole space, figure out what their character wanted in the scene, and to stay focused from start to finish.   At the conclusion of the scene one of the newer members said that she didn’t like being a murderer, and didn’t know if she could do it again.  It was her first time performing anything, so it was nice that she gave it a shot- even if she felt a little uncomfortable.

The woman playing Clarence also had an interesting take on her begging for her life.  She said that it reminded her of being in front of the judge.  There were nods of agreement and people swapped stories and asked if they cried or not.  She said that she had wrote three or four speeches where she was going to beg him but then threw them all away.  In the end she said she told the judge and her family not to pity her.  She then left, freaked out, couldn’t believe she said that to the judge, and wished she had begged.  I couldn’t write down all the responses that came from that comment, but there were lots of concurring and swapping of sentencing-stories.

The group dwindled slowly, and we finished with me and another member playing the Richard and Anne scene, with her as Richard and me as Anne.  We said that we would try again next week with the roles switched- and I know makes her uncomfortable playing a woman.

All in all it was a wonderful night, and at the same time a rank and file kind of night.  I’m glad the ensemble is so willing and eager to begin to perform the scenes they have been reading and I can’t wait to see more.

Session Six: Week 9

Tuesday

We began our session by reflecting on the Shakespeare Behind Bars documentary that we watched last week. The first thing that was noted was how amazing it was for the men to be able to perform for friends and family, which is something that we are not allowed to do. There was also an extremely positive reaction to one man’s journey to healing through a character who had many similarities to his own experiences. The women were also impressed by the honesty in the men’s acting.

One question was whether it is harder for men to play women than for women to play men. “It’s harder for men to put down their guard and be vulnerable. Women are strong when they toughen up,” said one woman. “Where else could I play Lord Capulet?” said a longtime member. “You get used to it. But women are more accepting.”

We talked a bit about the changes in physicality that are necessary when playing a different gender. We talked about how women are socialized to be quiet, take up little space with their bodies, and make themselves appear to be weak. We contrasted that with men’s physicality and talked about working together to become physically more powerful as we work with our play.

Several men in the film share the crimes that they committed. One woman said, “It was depressing, hearing what they did. The guy who killed his wife… I killed someone, but it was an accident. But I still get labeled.” Another woman said, “To watch them and to hear what they did but to still have this sense of liking them because of who they are… It’s a journey of learning about myself.”

“They weren’t who they used to be when they committed the crime,” said one person. We talked about balancing the scales – as one man in the film says, looking at the totality of a person’s life rather than simply the worst thing they’ve ever done.

Another woman remarked that she finds most crimes forgivable, but that it is hard to forgive crimes against children. She said it in a way that sounded judgmental, and another woman jumped in, gently but firmly reminding her not to judge people who’ve committed crimes against children because there may be people who’ve committed those crimes in our group, and we don’t want them to feel alienated. “Consider what you say,” said another woman, “But don’t censor anyone.”

Another woman said she is looking forward to getting feedback on her acting the way the men in the documentary provide it for one another. Several people commented on how inspiring it was to see how invested in each other the men were.

“It’s nice to see other people living the way that we are,” said someone. “It makes me feel better to know that other people are just as miserable as I am.” We talked about the changes the men undergo, despite their circumstances. “I want to be better than I was before,” said one woman. “Shakespeare keeps me out of trouble,” said another woman in her third year of the program. “You learn how to care about yourself and other people.”

We then returned to our play, reading and discussing Act Four, scene three, in which Tyrrel tells the audience of the killing of the princes and the killers’ remorse, and Richard has no such feelings as he prepares for a larger conflict.

“In Othello, the death was more shocking. It’s expected in this play,” said one woman. “We barely know these characters, too,” said another person. “I felt bad for Desdemona.” I posed the question: Why do we really only get to know Richard? Is he isolated on purpose? “He’s isolated from the first soliloquy,” said one woman. “The power causes you to isolate yourself,” said another.

As people left, I pulled aside one member of the group who has been pretty caustic and argumentative so far this season. I asked her if she realized how prickly she’s been, and she sheepishly said she did. I told her that I know she doesn’t want to be censored, but there are ways of expressing her opinions without being hostile. “You want to play Richard, right?” I asked. She nodded. “Then you have to give everyone a reason to cast you in that role,” I continued. She agreed that she need to start “playing nice.” I encouraged her to treat it like an acting exercise when it gets tough: her goal is to play Richard, and she needs to use tactics to get what she wants, the same way an actor does in a play. She was in total agreement and said she felt better having talked about it, and that she is confident she can adjust her behavior going forward.

Friday

Tonight we worked on Act Four, scene four, in which the women of the play mourn the loss of the princes, the Duchess reproves Richard for his actions, Richard pursues a marriage with his niece through Elizabeth, and Richard prepares for battle with Richmond. It’s quite a long scene!

We talked about Margaret’s speeches to Elizabeth in this scene and remarked how, despite being very harsh, she seems now to respect Elizabeth. “It’s a sisterhood of misery,” said one woman. “Margaret doesn’t gloat because Elizabeth talks about the curse being fulfilled,” said another. “She says to take your misery and sorrow and sharpen them like a sword… and kill Richard with it,” reflected someone else. “That’s what miserable people do anyway,” mused another participant. “They amplify their grief.”

We then discussed the way that the Duchess talks to Richard. “How can a child not entertain these things when a mother says them? Think about the impact this woman had on this child’s life. She made him the person that he is,” said one person. “Maybe he’s so heartless because he was treated so heartlessly.”

The woman sitting next to me said quietly that she relates to Elizabeth because she has two sons who were taken away from her. She said she is getting stronger, and is going to fight to get them back.

Regarding Richard, one woman said, “I wish you guys could all read Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. It’s so Richard. If you’re weak, you’re supposed to act strong.” She further reflected, “Doesn’t this happen to all gangsters? You do all this horrific shit, and then at the end you regret what you’ve done.”

Does Richard care about having killed children, we pondered? Several people agreed that he has an addict mentality – that he’s in pursuit of “pleasure, now,” and doesn’t think too far ahead.

“I don’t like the way some of these people react to Richard,” said one woman. “This play irritates me.”

There is a lot going on in this play, and many opinions being voiced. It is going to be a real challenge to work through all of these ideas as we begin to put the play on its feet, which is going to be soon. We may never all agree on everything, and many aspects of interpretation will ultimately be up to the people playing the roles. For now, though, all interpretations are on the table.

Session Six: Week 8

Tuesday

We began tonight with a follow up discussion to the one on Friday, when one of the women implied, intentionally or not, that lifers are more likely to be like Richard III. A lifer who is in our group had journaled about it, and she read the entry to us. She talked about the hopelessness of a life sentence – how having no light at the end of the tunnel colors everything and understandably affects the behavior of people serving such a sentence. We all thanked her for sharing with us – it was very moving and a constructive way to rebut what was said last week.

A longtime member of the ensemble reminded everyone that we need to “dilute our words” – really think before we speak so that we don’t offend by using harsh words that could hurt. She has actually made a “dilution plan” for the group.

The woman who originally made the comment clarified what she meant and emphatically stated that she had not intended to hurt anyone’s feelings by using a generalization – that she has a lot of compassion for lifers and would never want to offend. Another participant reminded us all that we don’t know what everyone else is going through.

The woman who spoke of diluting words, said, “I’ve always been a truth teller… But it’s all about the selection of words. This group helps me think about the words that come out of my mouth.”

Another woman who felt like she may have offended last week said, “I didn’t mean to be derogatory or offend. But we need to be careful about generalizing. I can judge people on their charges or sentences, but that’s not productive.” The woman who originally made the lifers comment said, “I look at all of you the same.”

“I feel like I’ve changed so much in prison,” said a woman in her third year. “I don’t like to meet new people – I’m still friendly, but I have my guard up. But I told my therapist when she asked that there is one place I feel safe – Shakespeare.”

We did our ring exercise then and sat down to continue our work on the play. We began with Act Four, scene one, in which Elizabeth and Anne find out that Richard is now king. This brought back our discussion of Anne, who is eliciting some really mixed responses.

“Do you think she might feel guilt?” asked Sarah, one of our facilitators. “Maybe she’s putting on a bit of a show,” said one woman. Another woman agreed, saying, “I don’t care who I’m married to as long as I have all this power.”

Another participant mused, “It’s like going from the suburbs to the middle of Compton. She just took the other option. Now she feels guilty, but at least she didn’t go to jail. She had to do something so she didn’t end up in the slums.”

Speaking of both women, one person said, “They probably both fear for their lives. Everyone around them is dying. They pick the safest option. I’d be trying to save my own ass.”

“I already want to rewrite this play,” said one woman who said the same thing about Othello last year.

The conversation returned to Anne, and one womanreminded us of how harsh and dirty life was for most people in the time when the play is set. “To go from having a lifestyle – being clean, having food – to thinking about living in excrement… I’d marry someone pretty horrible to get out of that.”

“I thought I was smart till I started Shakespeare,” said one new member, only half joking. “You’ve been initiated,” said a returning member. “You’re one of us now.” We all laughed. And then of course we went back to Anne.

“Anne is every woman,” said one person. “At one time we are all innocent. We’ve lost innocence, have guilt, and are conscious of that loss of innocence.”

“It’s self-preservation. She didn’t think it through,” said another participant. The woman who spoke of innocence mused, “But doesn’t the fact that she knows she lost something mean that she is good?”

“You’re looking at your dead father-in-law, and in comes this guy who killed him,” said another woman, “And he’s ugly, grotesque… You’re listening to the words coming out of his mouth, and halfway through you’re gonna fall for him? She said his words were like honey. She’s full of shit.”

“How long has it been since her husband died?” asked one woman. I replied that, if I recalled correctly, it had only been a few years. “She was grieving,” said another participant, “And she was in a hard spot. You have to take all those factors into consideration, why she made that choice. Sometimes the most evil people can make you think something’s a good idea.” This is not the first time this woman has made this observation – I think it hits close to home for her. And another woman agreed, saying, “To be alone and have lost everything, and to have someone come in with a solution…” She broke off mid-sentence.

We moved on to Act Four, scene two, in which Richard plots to kill the princes in the Tower. Our discussion centered around Richard. “There would always be somebody who has to die – He’d never be comfortable,” said one person. “He loves chaos,” said someone else. “Even in the opening soliloquy. He likes war.”

Another woman asked, “Is there anything he does that isn’t necessary for his plan? Did he have to kill all of these people?” Someone replied, “Some of it seems unnecessary and impulsive.” But someone else disagreed. “He kills anyone who could get in his way.” We mused, then, over whether he had to marry Anne. Was it compulsive? Ego driven? To make his crimes seem not to be so bad?

Referencing the murders of Henry and Edward, one woman, said, “I’m gonna kick your ass, and then I’m gonna sleep with your wife.” Another person mused, “It’s keep your enemies close…”

The conversation moved to Buckingham, his hesitation to kill the princes, and his knowing that this means that Richard will kill him. “He should have known better,” said one woman. “The last guy to hesitate is dead. Why are you any different?”

“I helped you get the crown,” said another woman, speaking for Buckingham. “How could you not be my BFF?”

“The way you get a person is the same way you lose a person,” a newer member said.

We ended on a positive note, having had some really great discussions. I’m very pleased by how well the group defused what could have been a contentious situation and learned from what had happened.

Friday

We watched the Shakespeare Behind Bars documentary tonight, as we have every year. We got started a little late, so we didn’t have time to discuss it afterward. I asked the group to reflect, write in their journals if they wanted to, and be ready to talk about the film when we meet on Tuesday.

The group also unanimously decided to add one more person to our ensemble. She had asked to join at the same time as a current group member, but due to a clerical error was not added. She has been working on the play with this friend, and so there won’t be much catching up to do. No one saw any reason not to add her. It’s an odd time of the year to add someone, but I’m encouraged by the group’s openness to the possibility.

Session Six: Week 7

Tuesday

One of the ensemble members who recently joined the group took me aside and told me that she wanted to make sure I know that she has very bad anxiety and stage fright, and that’s why she’s been hanging back a bit. I assured her that we’ve had many people over the years who’ve worked through those challenges and accomplished a lot, and I suggested that she push herself just a bit out of her comfort zone rather than feeling pressure to dive in like many of the others. I also suggested that she let the group know how she’s feeling so that they will understand why she’s reticent, rather than anyone wrongfully assuming that she’s not dedicated or interested in the work. She did talk to the group, and they were, of course, very sympathetic.

We worked through several scenes tonight. When discussing Act Three Scene Two, in which Hastings ignores a warning from Lord Stanley and boasts about the execution of his enemies, we paused to analyze what all of this means. “It’s ironic that Hastings is so happy about the executions because he’s going to die,” said one woman. We decided that the reason there’s so much repetition in the scene is to make sure we’re set up for Hastings’ impending downfall. A woman who worked on Othello last year remarked, “It’s like all of those people saying ‘honest, honest Iago.’”

Act One Scene Three was pretty straightforward and didn’t engender discussion beyond clarifying the plot. In our brief discussion of Act Three Scene Four, one of the women remarked, “We have a Ratcliffe here. She’s a henchwoman.”

When the majority of the group decided to play an improv game, I took aside the woman who confided in me that she’s bored and gave her some additional resources about the history behind the play. She was pleased and excited to do the extra reading.

I then went to the back of the room with a longtime ensemble member who wanted to read me an essay she had written about her life. It is a powerful piece, describing intense trauma that she experienced as a child and the following self-destructive choices she made, culminating in the crime for which she is incarcerated. She also wrote about her journey in prison toward healing. When she finished reading, she began to cry, talking about how hard it is to revisit these old wounds, but how much writing about them helps. She emphatically stated that the reason she’s been able to do this is her involvement in our group. Being able to explore so much through the characters, learning about storytelling, gaining confidence and self-esteem, and learning how to more constructively express herself and manage conflict has been a game changer for her. She is nearly ready to share her experiences widely and make some kind of impact, hopefully with young girls facing the same challenges she faced.

This ensemble member has come a very long way from when I first met her. “I don’t think you can understand how much this has meant to me,” she said. “This group has changed me. You are my inspiration.”

“There could be no higher honor,” I replied. “This is what we hope the program can do for everyone. And I want you to know that you inspire me, too. Nearly every time I talk about the group, I mention you. You’ve grown so much.”

It was an intense but rewarding conversation. I am so thrilled that she’s taken these steps toward healing, and so honored that she’s shared so many details of her journey with me.

Friday

We began tonight with Act Three Scene Five, in which Richard and Buckingham begin their manipulation of those around them to give Richard the crown. Our discussion of the scene centered on the Lord Mayor, who is handily played.

“I picture him chubby and dumb as a brick,” said one woman. “He must be a wuss,” said another. “You can’t make that judgment,” said a woman who’s been in the group for several years.  Kyle observed that the mayor could be reading between the lines. “I picture him as the Monopoly guy,” said one member. “Or the Mayor of the Munchkins,” said another.

A newer member suggested that the mayor acts the way he does because he doesn’t want Richard to hold anything against him later. After all, he is confronted by Hastings’ disembodied head in this scene. “I would run and get the hell out of Tewkesbury,” joked one woman.

Why do they fetch the doctor and the preacher, we pondered? A note in the Arden version of the play (which we use as a resource) says that these two were vocal advocates for Richard. “It’s like bringing your mom to court,” said one woman.

We moved on to Act Three Scene Six, in which a Scrivener tells the audience about how obviously false the proclamation against Hastings is. The scene is very brief. Why is it here, we asked? “This is where the story unfolds,” said one woman. “It’s getting us up to date, like the scene with the citizens,” said another.

“This is the first person to say it’s a fraud,” Kyle remarked. “Who’s he really talking to?” asked an ensemble member. “He wouldn’t talk to anyone who could say he’s the traitor.”

“Shakespeare does this all the time,” said a longtime member. Kyle added that when characters speak to the audience, they’re involving them without the possibility that they could impact the action of the play. “He’s speaking for everyone there,” said a newer member.

We moved on to Act Three Scene Seven, in which Richard and Buckingham again manipulate those around them and ultimately gain the throne for Richard. “It’s so slimy,” said one woman. The woman who played Iago last year mused, “Sometimes I think I like Richard better than Iago. Richard at least brings people into it – Iago acted by himself. Mad props to Richard – he gets people on his side.”

Another woman agreed. “Iago lied and tricked people – Richard gets people to work with him.” The first woman added, “The motives are different, too. Iago was doing it out of ambition and spite. Richard wants power.” The second woman asked, “Do you think because he’s a lord, he’s used to having people do things for him?” The first woman nodded her head, saying, “He’s entitled.”

Another woman from last year’s group said, “I think Iago’s more personal – he knows people’s weaknesses and digs deep into their souls and feelings. He plays specific people against others. Richard’s like, ‘Off with their head. If you’re not with me, you’re dead.’ Everybody hates Richard. When he does things, it’s obvious. Iago tricked people – Richard just has them killed.”

Richard’s physical deformity came up again. “It could be a body image thing,” said one woman. “Maybe he doesn’t look that bad to other people.”

We returned to the comparison with Iago. Kyle mentioned the contempt with which Iago held Cassio, and one of last year’s members chimed in, “Prattle without practice!” That’s a direct quote from the play, and evidence that it’s not just me who gets the language stuck in her head!

The discussion continued. I returned to the opening soliloquy and asked the group if they feel that, based on that language, Richard is bored and doesn’t fit in well in peace time. We mused on that a bit. Then the conversation turned personal.

“Sometimes I do want power,” said one woman. “I do things just to see if I could. There are things I want to accomplish. I’m not sure Richard wants to accomplish anything. As far as him being bored, I get that.” Another woman added, “He just wants to be somebody.”

“How tall was he? Maybe he had a Napoleon complex,” volunteered one woman. “He’s got a complex for sure,” responded the woman who posited that he wants to be somebody. “Do you think he got what he wanted in the end? I mean here we are talking about him. He’s somebody.”

I suggested that we refrain from judging Richard in black and white terms – that we will be better served by analyzing him as a multi-faceted human being. Several group members remarked how similar that is to how they feel about being judged.

“As felons, we bring a different view to this,” said one woman. “We know each other and ourselves… Society has thrown us way. You see things with us you otherwise wouldn’t see. Other people in society don’t understand. I look at friends who are drug addicts and see what led them there. The judging of character is a slippery slope. We’re gonna go out there and get judged, too.”

“Us judging them is like someone looking at our files,” said another woman.

“I’m stuck on what you said,” said another member to the first woman. “We’re all something to that effect, but in here I’ll never know you as that drug addict robber. To me you’re not.”

The first woman agreed. “Here I’m another person because we’re all on that level. But when I go home, I have to check that. For those of us that are going home soon, we have to remember that. But don’t forget who you are in here.”

The woman to whom this was a response said, “If we want people to know the real us, we have to be the real us.”

“The world is so judgmental,” said a longtime ensemble member. “If it’s not us as prisoners, it’s gonna be somebody else – lesbian, etc. If I wasn’t here, and I was posting pictures on social media, people would be saying something. In here, we have the opportunity to share who we really are.”

“We’re more than our crimes,” said another woman. Another added, “What we did yesterday is yesterday. It’s where you go from here.”

Kyle asked what would happen if they met Richard in prison. “Oh, we have,” said one woman, and everyone laughed. “We know Richards and reformed Richards,” said another. Kyle asked if there is hope that all Richards can be reformed. The group pondered this.

“I don’t want to be in the mix of the ghosts,” joked one woman. “When you’re around them, you realize they’re different,” one woman said more seriously. The first woman continued, “Some people use Richard as a character to keep up a wall.”

One woman talked about finding a good place to sit in the day room, and what she’d do if the only seat was near a Richard. “If Richard is respectful, I’ll sit there all day next to him.”

“We form preconceived notions, but we find out she’s pretending to be a Richard because of her situation,” said the woman who talked about Richard being used to keep up a wall.

Another woman said, “The Richard in my unit doesn’t like people who see her as Richard. She’ll plot against you… If you play the game and let her run the show, then you’re okay.” Another woman knew whom she was talking about. “She scares me,” she said. “I’ve seen the things she’s done to people, and I’m like, you can have it.” Kyle responded that that sounds a lot like the mayor.

“Sometimes if we don’t know better, we don’t do better,” said one woman.

Another woman remarked that someone serving a life sentence is more likely to be a Richard. This was met with some pushback. “If they’ve spent their whole lives here, it’s gonna change them,” said one woman. “You just don’t know what they’ve been through.”

Our conversation lasted until the very last minute of our meeting. We ended on a positive note, despite the disagreement over lifers being more likely to be Richards. Everyone is excited to continue the discussion next week.