REHABILITATION THROUGH THE ARTS PLAYS POSITIVE ROLE AT SING SING

ositive. That was the word that came up over and over again as I interviewed men in maximum security at Sing Sing Correctional Facility following their performance of "Stratford's Decision," an original comedy written by inmates David Wayne Britton and Winston Ishon Williams. The show was a production of Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA), the innovative theater program for inmates founded by Katherine Vockins and run by volunteers.

Justice, an inmate who was appearing in a play for the first time, said that one reason he liked acting so much and looked forward to doing more was, "It's a very positive, effective way to give something back and let people know that all prisoners aren't bad people." Rupert Harrell stated, "It was good to feel I did something positive for the people who came." And Jerry Ciari pointed to a very important documented fact when he said, "No one who's graduated from RTA and been released has ever come back. It has a 100% positive effect."

The first three performances of "Stratford's Decision" were for inmate audiences. The fourth was for an invited audience of several hundred civilians, many of whom remarked afterwards that it was more professional than quite a few Off Broadway productions they'd seen.

Two things in particular were highly original and extremely funny in this Elizabethan style comedy of love and intrigue. The first was the way it slid back and forth between classical style and the contemporary. Old English came smack up against street lingo, as for instance, when Lord Stratford approaches the queen and says, "Your majesty, if I may say so - yo, Vicky, we’re mad cool, right?"

Under the brilliant direction of civilian volunteer, Brent Buell, and inmate director, Cornell Alston, scene after scene brought down the house. One depicted the queen’s ball where some persons danced a demure minuet while the courtiers looked on with dignified approval. Suddenly the queen’s jester, played delightfully by Salvador Gonzalez, started to break dance as the music went from the sedately classical to hip hop. Immediately everyone else, from the queen on down, began doing the Harlem Shake and all kinds of contemporary dance movements. Just as suddenly, the music changed back and everyone recovered their decorous manner and went on with the minuet. It was hilarious.

"Stratford's Decision" also took to a new level the classical theatre's tradition of an "aside," where a character comes to the edge of the stage and confides something to the audience that - supposedly - none of the other characters hear. All the actors froze while one character would, in very colloquial language, give the audience the inside scoop on what was really going on with the other characters. Those, too, were terrifically funny.

While many things in the play had the audience howling with laughter, the comments of the men afterwards were enough to make you cry. As men spoke about what they felt taking part in this production and how being in Rehabilitation Through the Arts affects their lives, the good effect RTA has on the inmates enrolled in it and the tremendous need for this type of program throughout the prison system were resplendently clear.

John "Divine" Whitfield, who turned in a smashing performance as the wizard Agamemnon, said of his 6 years in the program, "RTA is a wonderful thing. The rehabilitative element of it is tremendous. It teaches you things you can't learn in other therapeutic programs. It's the best program that's happened to me in my 15 years of incarceration. Once people become involved in this, they don't get in trouble."

About his particular role, he commented, "The character helped me get a broader view of my possibilities and to grow a notch or two as a person. You have to get in touch with some things in yourself and also give the character uniqueness."

Men spoke of the isolation that is felt during incarceration where there is much fear of trusting or getting too friendly with anyone. It meant a lot to them to be able to let down their guard and get closer to people through this work. "This is an environment where people usually stay to themselves," Dario Pena explained. "But in this program I get to bond with people I really wouldn't get to bond with otherwise. I get to see another side, see their humanity. And if we set aside the time to try to get to know them, it helps to see people in a positive way rather than a negative way." "It's about the only time people are together," added Douglas Fields.

Just like the outside, prison life can be very racially segregated. Participation in RTA helps break down those barriers as well. Stated David Allweiss, who, in his depiction of the drunken Bishop Hathway had the audience practically rolling in the aisles, "I was glad everyone came to see that we can come together and have a multi-racial family."

Perhaps the most surprising thing was how much it meant to the men that this program also brought them closer to the correction officers and prison officials. Michael Groark said, "It brings everyone together, almost in a family, the men, the guards, people on the outside." Vaughn Gilmore, who played the lead in the last production and "the queen's boy toy" in this one, commented, "I like the family feeling that we get." And he remarked particularly on the fact that Brian Fischer, the Superintendent of Sing Sing, and Deputy Superintendent Connolly, came backstage to be with them for the 30 seconds of prayer before the show. Men also said they were grateful to Fischer for having faith in this play.

The men clearly put great value on taking part in the program, which is one of the reasons they have some of the lowest infraction rates in Sing Sing. Kelly Watts, who explained that he's in the program "for the rehabilitative aspect of growing and changing from what brought me here to begin with," went on to say that whenever he's tempted to do anything negative, "It gives me the feeling, 'Do I want to do this?' because it might cause me to lose this program." And Clarence Macklin said, "I would never do anything that would lose me the privilege of being here. This program took me out of the yard and put me with positive people."

Shawn Palmer, who films each RTA production and therefore witnesses its effect on the inmates, said that in working on the productions, the men are "dealing with emotions they have and using them in a positive way. It's really good." And he added that it's been important that people from the outside come in to see positive things being done on the inside so that good things can happen to people when they are released to the outside.

J.R. Burgess, who played an important role in the last production, said that the work with RTA "teaches you how to have a great work ethic. It also teaches you how to work together and how not to be selfish, to think of the other person." Carlos Anderson stated, "This is a form of rehabilitation, trying to get myself ready for society, not be anti-social."

Hopefully, RTA will continue to grow and reach inmates throughout New York State’s correctional facilities with its life-changing program. Since it's financed entirely by private contributions, Rehabilitation Through the Arts seeks funding to expand its experimental program. Any and all contributions are gratefully accepted. Checks can be made out to Prison Communities International, 12 Huntville Road, Katonah, NY 10536, Attn: Katherine Vockins, Program Director. PCI is a tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization. See its website: www.p-c-i.org.