Theatre and Incarceration

Undergraduate credit

Artistic practice in prisons has occurred since the inception of prisons themselves, though popular thought tends not to connect the idea of the arts with that criminal justice systems. This course surveys the history of performance in prisons through the examination of plays written by and about prisoners as well as narratives which chronicle the process of creating theatre in prisons. The course also interrogates various strategies for creating performances in prisons, questioning the utility and goals of each process of creation and seeking to identify those which are most sustainable and which best serve participants in the process. Students will use some of these strategies in practice as they facilitate their workshops in prisons and juvenile detention centers.