This session had an exciting buzz as ensemble members shared their first writing drafts of the summer and generated more ideas for a show theme. The workbooks for the session were also unveiled. 

The ensemble welcomed a new member who expressed excitement about acting and her love of Shakespeare. She admitted to feeling apprehensive about writing, and the other ensemble members encouraged her to participate in whatever way feels comfortable. 

Throughout the evening, members shared pieces they had begun writing. One participant presented her work with the help of fellow members. The reading was filled with laughter, singing, and dancing. Other members shared more personal pieces, getting support, notes, and words of encouragement from the rest of the group. 

The session shifted to going over the revised community values from the previous session. Ensemble members agreed on the values and emphasized the importance of having fun this summer. This led into a playful improv game. One participant took notes during the game and reflected on how improv games have inspired her writing. 

The game shifted into an activity designed to help generate more theme ideas. One member suggested focusing on addiction, remarking, “You can be addicted to anything…I believe it’s the number one thing  that leads people to this place.” 

Another theme that resonated with the ensemble was freedom. The group discussed what it would mean to act out what it feels like to be free. One participant connected freedom to honoring the women who have been lost, saying, “Their spirits are free.” 

Love and family were also recurring topics during the conversation. Ensemble members shared the role of care, terms of endearment, and chosen family in prison.  “Love makes you a better person,” One member shared. Another participant closed the discussion by referencing a quote from Martin Luther King Jr.: “Love is the only thing that can turn an enemy into a friend.”

By the end of the evening, the ensemble felt inspired by the new theme ideas and ready to continue working through the creative process.