Shakespeare at Pendleton Update

It’s time for a Shakespeare at Pendleton update. On August 3rd, the Shakespeareans at the Pendleton Correctional Facility performed their third play, Timon of Athens. This was our most ambitious show yet with set designs, costumes, music, the number of performers, and the shorter length of time from the choice of the play to its performance. We did two performances, one for inmates and prison staff and the other for outside guests. We had some unusual challenges too—my being away for the last months of my father’s life, lockdowns (more about that shortly), and negotiations for what would and would not be allowed for costumes and props. Fortunately, on costumes and props, we got most of what we wanted.
Shakespeare at Pendleton has had a co-facilitator for this past year, Morgan Morton. She is a graduate from a university in Upland, Indiana, and she is an actor in the Indianapolis area. She knows a whole lot more about acting than I do, and her help was invaluable in keeping the program going while I was in New Orleans.
Two and a half weeks before we were to perform, a man was fatally stabbed in the H Cell House at Pendleton. This didn’t involve any of the men we have been working with, but it did result in a lockdown of the cell house . . . where 5 of our actors live, including our lead performer. We began rehearsing understudies for the roles, and four days before the performances, we had a second actor ready to perform Timon. Yet, on the day of the play itself, all of the men were released from the lockdown, and our understudies agreed to let the original performers do the roles for both shows. Seeing men get ready in three weeks for large Shakespeare roles, and then seeing them relinquish those roles for their friends has been one of the finest acts of grace I have every witnessed.
Several prison officials have commented to me that they did not believe that our lead actor for the role of Timon would stay committed to learning and performing the role. He came in for special praise from the officials who are witnessing a transformation in his life. I am proud of all the work the men have done, but I’ll especially mention the set designers, who painted in two weeks several sets for this play. And the men contributed a number of creative ideas for fleshing out this play.
Pendleton allowed us to bring in sports coats for costuming the men. In some cases, this was the first time in over a decade that some of the men were allowed to wear a sports coat. Another “Christmas Day” kind of experience for me was seeing them choose from the coats I had the ones each man wanted for the show. Some of them still have a great sense of fashion. (What goes with a khaki prison jumpsuit? They can tell you.) We were able to contribute all of the coats after the play to the Indiana Department of Corrections’ Dress for Success program, which provides men released from prison clothes they can use for job interviews.
We still have two activities to go to complete the season, a pizza celebration and sending dvds of the show to the men’s families. I estimate that, leaving aside the cost of gas, we used $1700-1800 getting this show from its selection to the conclusion of the season. It has taken all of the financial resources we have raised for Shakespeare at Pendleton, so if you would like to help the program go forward, we can use your contributions. There are three ways to contribute. (1) Write a check to Huntington University with “Shakespeare at Pendleton” on the memo line. This will get you a receipt for tax purposes. (2) If you are not concerned about a tax receipt, I can take contributions through my PayPal account, jackheller@hotmail.com. (3) Or, I have set up a gofundme page. For hoping to raise $2000, so far I’ve gotten $25 through gofundme, so whichever way you choose to contribute, your help will be appreciated.
Finally, some pictures. This link is to some photos posted by the Pendleton Correctional Facility. Our Timon is wearing Jay Duffer’s top hat: https://www.facebook.com/IDOCPCF/posts/2221246984569503 (Read the comments.)
This link is to the program where our sports coats went: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=524836687971745&id=323511994770883&__tn__=-R. If you’d like to know how to help in this way, it’s easy: buy up the good coats at the local thrift stores.
And finally, one of our former participants, Chris Lewis, has been featured in the news for participating in a new writers program at the Plainfield Correctional Facility: https://fox59.com/2018/08/21/indiana-prison-writers-workshop-set-to-expand/
Your help with Shakespeare at Pendleton is vital. Thank you for your help this past year.