June Blog Post

The annual May performances at Garner Correctional raised the bar once again.  The Garner Players performed in outstanding fashion as they read their original poetry and spoken word pieces as well as five fresh new plays which ranged from broad comedy to serious drama. Subjects such as civil rights were addressed in a play featuring a fictional conversation between Martin Luther King and Malcolm X written by James.  James and co-playwright Michael demonstrated their range by also writing and performing in a highly comedic piece dealing with societal stereotypes which all audiences loved. New Garner player, John, wrote a heartfelt play about a painful life lesson among two best friends and Jamal's play dealt with issues surrounding recidivism in a genuine meeting of two minds.  Rounding out the plays was a short piece pulled together from a full-length play written by Abdullah which follows a young man on a journey which leads him to a place of maturity in which he develops the capacity to help others.

This year's production ran for four nights and included performances for other inmates, family members, and invited guests.  Each and every audience member came away moved by what they saw and learned.  Through these productions, particularly for invited guests, the humanity of the inmates is apparent and thriving which goes a long way towards changing the public perception of the prisoner.  

On June 16, 2018, The Brookfield Theater of the Arts hosted a film premiere of a documentary entitled "Why They Kill" written, produced and directed by Guissepe Fazari.  The evening was organized by Beth Young, who arranged for a poetry reading of work by the Garner Players which offered a stark contrast to the brutality of the film while providing a fuller rendering of the people who commit crimes. TAO is truly grateful to TBTA's Lou and Andy Okell for donating their space, time and effort to this event. Without the support of our local theaters, we would not have the opportunity to continue to spread the word.

As the warmth of the summer is upon us, the Garner Players will be spending time writing and studying acting technique by way of scene study and exercises.  Summer classes will be taught by Beth Young and newcomer, Christopher Bird, who brings a wealth of theater education and experience to impart.

A new round of classes will begin at MYI on July 9, 2018, which will be taught by Beth Young and Tony Enright and classes at MacDougall are in preparation to be supervised by Mark Aldrich.
Looks to be a busy and productive summer.