Season Eleven: Week Five

Tuesday / February 21 / 2023
Written by Kyle Fisher-Grant

We were back in the auditorium today, and we welcomed more new members. Almost every new member from last week returned, even those who’d said they didn’t think they would, so it felt like a full house and like the program is really expanding. As of now, there are only a few members who have taken part in SIP prior to this year, so with each activity there is a great deal of explanation, and although there is a lot of enthusiasm and buy-in, it takes some energy to get everyone on the same page—both in the figurative and literal sense of the word!

We started, as we always do, with a check-in and the ring exercise. Two ensemble members reported that they played the improv game from Friday in their unit and tried to teach others the rules. After the ring, we played a name game that was very active and high-energy. One member struggled with the silliness; sometimes that can serve to derail the exercise, but the ensemble did really well in letting her participate at her own pace. She said that next time she would try to really commit to the game. It was a real win for the ensemble. They have done a great job creating a safe space in a short amount of time.

It was unanimously decided to start reading Hamlet, and we started with Act 1, Scene 1. The ensemble members who have been attending for a month now were very patient while reading over the scenes they’ve read several times already, and they got a special shout out and some well-deserved recognition. We read through the scene for comprehension first, and a few new members admitted to struggling with the text. They said they didn’t really understand the language, and didn’t know what really happened in the scene. It was their first night in the program, and they were met with an overwhelming response from the ensemble that this is normal. It was a great moment because it gave a few other members in the ensemble a chance to admit they didn’t exactly understand it either, and it gave the veterans a chance to explain that this is all part of the process. It seemed like the new members thought they might be out of place for not understanding the text on the first read, but they were met with a lot of reassurance and were encouraged to watch a few members read the scene on its feet, and to use copies of the No Fear edition.

Next we tried performing the scene in the circle. We were able to stop and adjust our “staging” several times, with most of the adjustments centered around the ghost’s entrances and exits. Each time, there was a chorus of ideas about how we could make the scene work better. Some members were focused on the current iteration of the scene, some thought in terms of a fully staged production at the facility, and some proposed ideas based on whether we were professionals with unlimited time/budget. It was great to hear all the creativity, and it was difficult to write down all the ideas that were shared. Everything from shadows, to scary music, to lighting effects and ziplines got play from the ensemble. It's also worth noting that the members who read the scene on its feet were really working on making some acting choices, even though we haven’t really delved into the acting technique just yet. Still, we did a redo of certain sections, with ensemble members giving and taking some constructive criticism. 

This was all very new to most of the ensemble and took a bit more facilitation from the volunteers than is typical. The ensemble is really taking shape, and is already feeling safe and supportive. One member who played the ghost admitted, only after she performed, that she had never performed in front of that many people before. The ensemble cheered for her, in typical SIP fashion. The ensemble members who had shared that they didn’t understand the text when reading said it was an entirely different experience watching ensemble members do the scene on its feet. This is also typical in SIP. Getting the scene on its feet feels like more than just the comprehension of the text crystalizing, it feels like the ensemble is coming together and finding its feet this season.

Season Eleven: Weeks Three and Four

Tuesday / February 7 / 2023
Written by Kyle Fisher-Grant

We had another great night this Tuesday after having canceled Friday’s session due to opening night of The Peculiar Patriot at Detroit Public Theatre. At only seven ensemble members, the group is strong. There is an extremely high level of engagement, and an unusually high level of willingness from the ensemble; it feels as though we’ve worked together for years.

This Tuesday was a special night: the eleventh birthday of Shakespeare in Prison! We talked about the history of the program for a bit, and as we talked we collectively decided that it would be fitting to get “Silly Hamlet” up on its feet tonight. There was something about it that really spoke to the group; I think the combined seriousness and levity really hit the spot. We were short on scripts, so we were all constantly passing the scripts around, not to mention that we had at the very least three parts each. King Hamlet’s ghost did some of the Thriller dance, Banquo made a cameo and the participant who played him absolutely milked it, the death rattles for all the characters in Act Five were over-the-top and on-the-money, the “sword fighting” was mimed and completely ridiculous, every pop song Ophelia sang was sung with commitment—in short, it was a bit of a ruckus and everyone laughed from start to finish. For some ensemble members, it was their first time through the plot of Hamlet, and they were surprised at how many of the main characters do not live through the play. One new member explained that in Shakespeare “all the best parts get killed!”

We finished the run of the play with five minutes to spare, and before we put up the ring we sang a very big “Happy Birthday” to SIP.

Friday / February 17 / 2023
Written by Kyle Fisher-Grant

Tonight we had twenty participants, many of them new. Because of the program’s long pause due to Covid, many of the new members did not have even a passing familiarity with the program; in seasons past we had been highly recommended by previous members, or someone had seen a performance. A few “newbies” thought they had signed up for a traditional Shakespeare class where they would be writing papers and receiving a grade. We explained that, although those types of traditional education classes are valuable, it’s not what we do in SIP. It was really exciting to see their spirits rise when they realized that they would be participating in a performance with props, costumes, and the like. Because there were so many new members, most of the night was spent in orientation mode. We discussed the program's values, history, goals, methods, expectations, and answered as many questions as we could. We could feel the slow roll of smiles as the nature of the program came into focus, and the excitement seemed contagious as the night progressed. A returning member from our Twelfth Night season really took a leadership role in facilitating the orientation. She told stories of learning her lines, being up on stage, and how she and her bunkie studied for hours to learn those lines. We finished the orientation with the ring exercise and jumped right into some improv games. The group seems to really be bonding, and one new member said, “I just want to perform right now!”

We started by playing a game we’ve been working on over the last couple of weeks. The new members loved it and had a great time trying to keep all the rules straight. Then, by unanimous vote, the ensemble decided to read some Shakespeare before the night was over. There were more willing readers than characters in the scene, and most of the readers were one hundred percent new to the group. There was a lot of excitement in the room, and the six members who have been in the group for the past month did a really great job of bringing newer members into the fold.

Season Eleven: Week Two

Tuesday / January 31 / 2023
Written by KFG

Every night that we get to facilitate the program feels more and more like no time has passed. There may be new faces, but the core of the program remains the same as ever. We have a small but very dedicated ensemble so far, and they are eager to dive right into Hamlet. I’m encouraged by how participatory the group has been during check-ins, and how well the group seems to be bonding. This is owing in no small part to one of our veterans, who has really done well in getting the ball rolling in conversations about the text and in performance. It makes such short work of encouraging the new ensemble members to have such a great example in the room.

Tonight we focused most of our attention on a 20-minute version of Hamlet that SIP staff wrote a few years ago. There were only six ensemble members tonight, and with 15 characters in the script, that meant that everyone read multiple parts, sometimes playing whole scenes where all the characters were one virtuoso actor. The ensemble loved it. I don’t know who coined the term “Silly Hamlet,” but the name stuck. It was a great way to get through the whole plot of the play in a short, approachable way. We finished the night with some improv games, and laughed until my face hurt!

Friday / February 3 / 2023
Written by KFG

We had another really incredible night with our ensemble. It really feels like we are diving into the text and getting into the process. Tonight we talked about whether we wanted to stage our silly, 20-minute version of Hamlet or the real text. It was pretty unanimous that the ensemble wanted to keep working their way through the original text, and so we took a deep dive into act 1 scene 2. 

It’s a very long scene that can be broken into three or four sections, and there are a few famous sections, so we took our time to make sure we hit all the bases. There were some very nuanced observations, and it was great fun collecting all the theories that can start on just the second scene of the play. A lot of focus was on King Claudius, and I had to continually remind everyone about what the audience knows at that point in the play; the ensemble had really taken “Silly Hamlet” seriously and were using the knowledge from last week to shade this week's reading. “I think Claudius has a guilty conscience about killing the king!” said one ensemble member. “[Gertrude and Claudius] had something going on behind the scenes” said another. “I think they were just giving at each other looks until the king died!” A spirited debate followed. 

The real magic came when we got the scene on its feet. We decided that we would not try to complete the whole scene, and instead focused on the last section: the exchange between Horatio and Hamlet. I sneakily added the famous soliloquy (“Oh, that this too too sullied flesh…”) to the scene and the ensemble took turns performing. Everyone performed at least once (including our brand new member!), and we talked about what we gained in performance. “I feel like it's easier to get the inflection and emotion when you’re in it,” one woman said. One member, who played a very emotionally connected Hamlet, said, “It’s difficult to just read it… He’s throwing his heart into it, and his heart needs to hear it a certain way.” We talked about ways to improve, and that they were free to work on the monologues during off-nights and bring something back that they’ve worked on. One member summed it up really nicely, “I like seeing others get it up on its feet. We have different takes on it.” All that work took us right to the last minute of the night, and we finished up with plans of what they wanted to work on next session.

Season Eleven: Week One

Tuesday / January 24 / 2023
Written by Kyle Fisher-Grant

We are back! Tonight we had six participants, and all six were ready and eager to participate. While going through the orientation packet, one member already said she wanted to play Hamlet if and when the time came to perform the play. One of the returning members played a real leadership role in explaining the program to the new members. “I’ve seen a lot of girls come in in September and they’re in their shell. By the time March rolls around, they’re in it! On their feet, having fun, and then you see them bloom” I told her that was beautiful, and to slow down so I could get the exact quote. She replied, “Oh yeah, BLOG THAT!”

There were two returning members and three new members, and you would not have been able to tell who was who. We did our traditional exercise in which we raise an imaginary ring of light and positive energy, and then the newbies jumped into improv games with real abandon. We played a few games, and there was so much laughing and smiling that we reached the end of the session before we knew it. As we put the ring back up, one of the new members asked if she could take part of the ring back with her to the unit, and we all smiled. It was good to be back!

Friday / January 27 / 2023
Written by Kyle Fisher-Grant

Tonight, as on Tuesday, there was one hundred percent participation from ensemble members. We began with our usual check in and ring exercise. Then we asked the three questions we ask at the start of every season:

1. What brings you to Shakespeare in Prison?

2. What do you hope to get out of SIP?

3. What is your gift to the ensemble?

I let them know that they would likely have to answer again when we have more ensemble members present. Just like every season, the answers were wonderful and surprising. One member didn’t know anything about the program, and just thought she would try and challenge herself with something new. My favorite response was from a new member who said she had a bunkie who was part of the Twelfth Night season. “She always came back so happy and full of energy, I just had to see what made her so happy.” At the end of the three questions, the door opened and one of the program’s veterans came to rejoin the ensemble. She has been with us for a number of years, and has played a pivotal role in every season of which she’s been a part.

I asked if the group wanted to do improv games or read Shakespeare, and they unanimously agreed on Shakespeare. We read and discussed Act 1 Scene 1 of Hamlet. We talked about a few different staging ideas for the ghost and went back and forth a couple of times building on each other's ideas. We then got the scene up on its feet and were able to get through the whole thing just before the session ended.

An Update from Shakespeare in Prison

You have probably heard that, as part of efforts to keep Michigan's incarcerated people as safe as possible during this pandemic, the Michigan Department of Corrections has temporarily closed all facilities to visitors and outside volunteers—including SIP facilitators. (Please click here for more information from MDOC.) Though we are not able to be in the same space with our ensemble at this time, we are working diligently to ensure that we are ready to go the moment the crisis is past.

Our work with SIP alums on a variety of projects continues apace! We are particularly excited about the progress we're making on our very own book, RICHARD III—IN PRISON: A Critical Edition. We hope you'll take a little time to visit the S.I.P. Book page and check out the videos we've posted. They'll bring you right into the process with some incredibly interesting (and, dare we say, entertaining?) discussions. Stay tuned for more from our alums very, very soon.

We want you to know—because we know it may be on your mind—that we are working very hard to identify and raise the funds we need to ensure that Shakespeare in Prison weathers this crisis intact as a program. If that is something you would like to help with, please click here to donate. And if you know of any resources you think we should look into, please click here to email us and let us know.

We will share more updates as we have them. Till then, we ask that you please keep our country's 2.2 million incarcerated people—including so many members of our SIP family—in your thoughts.