Theater workshop in prison
It doesn’t matter why they got here and what crimes they are serving sentences for, it is important to help them become different people: to teach sympathy and empathy. It is for this purpose that a special theater project for prisoners was created at the Norco prison in California. Watch a theater workshop at Norco Prison led by famed Hollywood actor Tim Robbins.
(Total 12 photos)
1. Norco is a prison that places great emphasis on working with inmates to reduce recidivism. Resocialization and various preventive and treatment programs are in the first place here. Many may say that all this is useless, that, they say, “the humpbacked grave will fix it,” but the numbers will tell you the exact opposite. According to statistics, participation in artistic and creative programs in this prison significantly reduces the re-offending of its participants. (Photo: Mario Anzuoni / Reuters)
2. The Gang Prison Project is a program that has been running at Norco California Prison since 2006. Reuters photographer Mario Anzuoni received permission from the director of the prison to participate in the creative activities of prisoners. (Photo: Jae C. Hong / AP)
3. The idea of resocialization through art is not new. More and more prisons offer their prisoners all sorts of activities: art, music, theater. Some of the participants, to their surprise, learn that they have a real talent. But the purpose of these studies is quite different. (Photo: Mario Anzuoni / Reuters)
4. Why do prisoners play in the theater? It turns out that participation in theater classes teaches convicts sympathy, empathy - in a word, empathy. The theater workshop helps them learn to deal with their own emotions, often negative ones. Once in the role, they can afford to show fear, shame, joy, and so on. You will not believe it, but some of them felt these emotions for the first time right here - in the theater. Prisoners also learn to recognize their own feelings and the feelings of others. (Photo: Mario Anzuoni / Reuters)
5. This time, the prisoners, led by actor Tim Robbins, are participating in a commedia dell'arte performance. It is a type of 16th century Italian street theater based on improvisation. It is also called the comedy of masks, since the masks and painted faces of the actors are characteristic of such performances. (Photo: Jae C. Hong / AP)
6. The famous actor Tim Robbins, known throughout the world for his role in the film "The Shawshank Redemption", conducts theater master classes in the Norco prison. (Photo: Mario Anzuoni / Reuters)
7. This is more than an ordinary theater. Prisoners participating in the project are introduced to various meditation techniques, which they begin with in the theater. This helps them calm down and concentrate before rehearsals. (Photo: Mario Anzuoni / Reuters)
8. During the master class, all participants play short impromptu scenes. Sometimes some of them get into the role so much that they impress the guards who act as spectators in the theater. (Photo: Mario Anzuoni / Reuters)
9. Actors apply makeup before the performance. (Photo: Jae C. Hong / AP)
10. Prisoners after the performance. Many of them only here learned to show positive emotions. (Photo: Jae C. Hong / AP)
11. “On stage, prisoners stop being criminals. It doesn't matter why they were put here. For a few hours, they may just be actors. And we are the spectators,” wrote photographer Mario Anzuoni. (Photo: Mario Anzuoni / Reuters)
12. Despite the fact that creative programs for prisoners bring significant positive effects, there will always be those who will criticize every new idea of resocialization just because it costs a lot of money. These critics probably never thought about the fact that such activities save someone's life, including, quite possibly, their own (from a stray bullet, for example). (Photo: Jae C. Hong / AP)
Keywords: Actors | Master class | Theatre | Prison