The Marshall Project: I went to a play the other night. Selected scenes from “Death of a Salesman,” in a men’s prison, with an all-male cast. It was terrible and hilarious, and beautiful. There were no costumes, save for a towel tucked into one guy’s shorts to simulate a skirt. The props, meanwhile, were an unintentionally eclectic hodgepodge of the few things a prisoner can get his hands on. Mugs became telephones; soap dishes housed imaginary cigarettes; the lid of a box made for a passable grave marker. There were various levels of talent, or lack thereof, though everyone tried their best.
6 comments:
The entire time that I was reading this article I thought it was written by an individual who had a family member in the prison system. Only when I was reading the few italicized sentences about the writer did I discover an inmate was the speaker. This assumption I made speaks to the theme of the article—incarcerated people are still people, and they can still make impactful art. Whether it be the cynical, enjoyable article, or a production of “Death of a Salesman”. The costumes may be haphazard, and the lighting may be fluorescent but if the intention is there, the beauty is as well. I firmly believe in the healing power of art, especially in this situation where individuals are removed from society, thus distant from many aspects of culture. The initiative to not only explore, but to perform plays speaks highly of the institution, but also of the troubled men who had the motivation to follow through with their simple yet moving production.
What I kept thinking about once I read the article, was if the author (and the rest of the audience) had seen a more professional production of this show -- would the reaction, and message have been the same? The author seemed particularly moved by the ending scene with Linda Loman, and I'm just curious if he would have felt as emotional as he did if it was a professional actress playing the role, and not some tough, fellow inmate. In the context of this specific performance, it may have been easy to not have the ability to disassociate the actors from their parts, especially because in this prison they function more as peers, than just a performer and an audience. There are more prerequisites and assumptions already being made. However, it seems the biggest moment for the author was when he actually didn't make the distinction between actor and Linda, and the message was able to hit home. Death of a Salesman is a truly emotional show, and the specific scene with the gravestone is incredibly heart-wrenching, she is forced to deal with unexpected events, and I even remember her talking about how she was finally free once she paid off the house. Theater provides content that will not always speak to us, but sometimes, a specific moment reminds us of who we are or what we could be, and I'm hoping that that is what the author truly experienced while watching this show.
I love the idea of having theater in the prison system. While there may not be the “talent” or the “skills”, the simple act of putting on a show in such an environment is amazing. I think that the discipline, dedication, and hard work that goes into putting on a (possibly subpar) show seems like an excellent idea for inmates. Learning how to empathize with characters is a brilliant way to build character. What I love even more, is that this article was written by an inmate. Even with the terrible acting and half-hazard set, Seth Piccolo was drawn into the magic of theater and was able to view a world outside of his current reality. Theater provides us with the tools to live and experience any scenario and any world that we want, no matter where we are. I think programs like this are an excellent way to bring art to audiences that might not necessarily have had access, after all, every needs art in their lives.
This article made me very very happy. My brother and I have always been fascinated by prison culture, it’s one of the few things we share, but where he is interested in the crime and punishment, I am interested in the lifestyle behind bars and how art, literature, and education - or a lack of it - play a role not only in the quality of life behind bars, but in the rehabilitation process. Of course, rehabilitation isn’t exactly the goal of the U.S prison system, but that isn’t the point. The impact that art can have on a prisoner’s life, amidst all of the violence and monotony and neglect, is massive and is something that should be considered more often. Yes, this article was written by a pedophile. But he is also a person who was able to connect with other people through art and it moved him enough to want to put his experience in writing to share with others, and that is also important. We often hear and say that art is therapeutic, and this is a wonderful example of where that therapy is most impactful.
I think that this article is about so much more than theater. It is about our justice system and the people that are trying to make prison more than just prison for them. The author of this article is incarcerated and I think that plays into this whole review. I think the review itself is a little funny, and he is in full awe of CP Bill's talent which is nice because this man is described as not a good man, but the author still appreciates the talents he possesses. My main thing with the author being incarcerated is that he really knows these people and the prison and is much more educated about what life is really like. I really like his inside perspective into the justice system, and a little snippet of happiness among the men that live there. It made them all feel a little more normal and I think that it is wonderful that theater has those capabilities and reminds me why I like theater in the first place.
I love this article! This is the first one out of the slew of articles I've dug through that actually describes the prison performance. It was really great to get a rundown of how it worked because I was definitely wondering! How do they do a set and props? Different genders and ages? Are they really gonna memorize all the lines? This gave me such wonderful insight in how absolutely crappy these productions can be on the surface, and yet, can still convey such powerful emotions. There is something so powerful about a performance like this because watching criminals come together and create something, no matter how awful, because it shows they are normal human beings. They are doing a normal, human thing by performing in a play. My favorite part is that they got to hand out two handwritten tickets to their friends. It's something to look forward to. It's a night out. It's getting to be a person.
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