Stay tuned for updates on our New Play Creation Project.
Past Projects:
The Bucket
The Bucket was an original performance piece created entirely within the walls of Oregon State Penitentiary, Oregon's only maximum security prison. The play was an hour long, and consisted of several pieces written by inmates and staff around their experience of Solitary Confinement. The Bucket was awarded first place by PEN America in the drama category in the Prison & Justice writing national writing competition. Please contact us for more info on this project.
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Within These Walls
Past Event: An evening of thought-provoking presentation and conversation focused on the nature of solitary confinement in Oregon and nationally. This evening took place in Portland, Oregon on Wednesday, September 28th of 2016.
The evening consisted of two parts:
Presentation - An hour of staged events, including:
- Monologues, scenes and poetry created by inmates who have experienced or are experiencing solitary confinement, and other artists, presented by former inmates and local actors. Music, provided by local musicians and former/current inmates.
- A visual arts component, including thematic artwork by inmates as well as a commissioned work by local visual artist Alyson Provax.
Conversation - An hour of conversation with the community:
A town hall conversation about the nature and state of solitary confinement in Oregon and the U.S. today. This part of the evening included a panel of state legislators, past members of the incarcerated community, law enforcement officials and members of affected communities, with the objective of having an open and constructive conversation about solitary confinement, long term-effects and opportunities for the future.
Listen to a KBOO radio interview about this event on Prison Pipeline.
Read the article about the original theatre piece created at the Oregon State Penitentiary that inspired this evening, from the Willamette Weekly.
Discussion Participants :
Moderator: Bobbin Singh, Executive Director, Oregon Justice resource Center
House Majority Leader State Representative Jennifer Williamson
Cpt. Joseph Etter, Oregon Department of Corrections
Karuna Thompson - Chaplain, Oregon State Penitentiary, Featured in "Chaplains" documentary on PBS.
Avrohom Perlstein - Chaplain, Oregon State Penitentiary
Sponsors & Other Participants
Cerimon House – Center for the Humanities - http://cerimonhouse.org
Morpheus Youth Project - http://www.morpheusyouth.org
KBOO Radio Prison Pipeline - http://kboo.fm/program/prison-pipeline
Oregon Bark - http://oregonbark.com
