By Cris Franco
Actor/director Tim Robbins (The Shawshank Redemption, Mystic River, The Player, Anchorman, etc.) co-founded The Actor’s Gang Theater in 1981 with the mission statement “to create bold, original works for the stage and daring reinterpretations of the classics”. Robbins made good on his mission and today The Actor’s Gang is running performing arts programs in 14 California state prisons, 2 Reentry facilities, and Los Angeles County Probation camps and halls for juveniles.
Most notable is the Actors’ Gang Prison Project which provides 8-week workshops in California prisons in order to unlock human potential in the interest of effective rehabilitation. One of the few remaining arts programs inside California’s correctional system, the Prison Project has a profound impact on inmates, their families, and prison staff. Participants develop social skills, self-esteem, tools for life beyond bars.
Since the program’s inception 8 years ago, the Prison Project maintains a 0% recidivism rate (California’s rate exceeds 60%).
Still defying the odds, The Actors’ Gang Prison Project, will be debuting its newest work: (Im)migrants of the State – an original play created by and based on the real-life experiences of its ensemble of formerly incarcerated actor-writers. This unique creation devised through intensive storytelling sessions runs March 15 to April 7, 2023, at The Actors’ Gang Theatre in Culver City.
The play’s co-director Jeremie Loncka (also the Director of Programs for the Prison Project) said, “Being amongst an ensemble of men and women who are creating this piece with such raw honesty and commitment has been a life-altering experience. The joy and passion they bring to the theater is contagious, and I’m excited for audiences to share in that joy.”
The process has been both difficult and rewarding. “We are experiencing struggles, setbacks, but we are learning to work together–just like we had to do ‘inside’—and to build real relationships through ensemble work,” says co-director and ensemble member Rich Loya. In the face of these challenges, the artists remain grateful and excited.
Front: Montrell Harrell Back: Robert Chavez, Shaun Jones, John Dich (Photo: Bob Turton)
Scott Tran said, “The most meaningful thing was working alongside my brothers and sisters to create this play from scratch.” Now they are thrilled to be able to share their work with the public and hope it has a positive impact. Montrell Harrell, another member of the ensemble, says he hopes audiences leave the show with “an understanding that sometimes people make mistakes, but they can change, and there’s always light at the end of the tunnel.”
These stories run the full spectrum of emotions, and the creators have found a way to infuse humor, joy, and hope as they faced even the darkest moments. Loya sums up his feelings with gratitude and hope. “The fact that we’ve been given this opportunity to tell our stories and share them with the world is humbling and affirms to us all that we have redeemed our past.”
The Actors’ Gang Prison Project has had a long history, and this is a rare opportunity to see where theatre has made an impact on peoples’ lives.
To experience the transformative power of art, see (Im)migrants of the State by logging onto: TheActorsGang.com