Frannie Shepherd-Bates of Detroit Public Theatre’s Shakespeare in Prison

When the cast of Richard III heard that they had won at the Creator Awards, one of the actors burst into tears.

“She said it was the best news she’s ever gotten,” says Frannie Shepherd-Bates, head of Detroit Public Theatre’s Shakespeare in Prison program. Her cast is made up entirely of inmates at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility.

The $36,000 from the Creator Awards will help keep the program going, and even expand to include other facilities. Shepherd-Bates, who has staged six productions so far, says she would love to bring it to men’s prisons as well.

Each play takes nine months—starting with just reading through the text. Even at this early stage in the production, says Shepherd-Bates, something happens every day that “blows my mind.”

“Even the act of reading Shakespeare out loud is huge for people who’ve been told they don’t read well, or have been taught that they’re not smart,” says Shepherd-Bates. “To see them easily grasping the content in Shakespeare, even if they don’t understand every word, is amazing.”

Shepherd-Bates says that by the time they perform the play, the group has become extremely close. Many of the inmates are so moved by the experience that they return year after year.

“One of the women said that in prison you feel empty, and Shakespeare fills you up,” says Shepherd-Bates. “To be a part of that, and to see the drastic changes in the way people live their lives—as an artist it’s really humbling.”

Read Full Article: https://www.wework.com/ideas/community-stories/member-spotlight/3-creator-award-winners-changing-world