From Behind Bars to the Stage
Two of the most important details when it comes to writing a story are the setting and the background. An author always needs inspiration for what they write, like a life-changing experience. This coming December, the PVCC Theater Program will feature a show originated by a fascinating source: Virginia inmates. They are the inspiration for the upcoming play titled Flying in Place: Liberating Voices from Virginia’s Prisons.
Brad Stoller, associate professor of theater arts and the person in charge of the show, gave some information about the play. He started by talking about a concept with an interesting background. “Flying in Place was initiated by our Dean Leonda Keniston and Benjamin Sloan, retired English professor, who worked in the prisons here for over a dozen years as a PVCC instructor,” he said.
“Writing from PVCC prisoners have been collected over all this time, and they felt it was an important element to bring the often invisible lives of people behind bars into the consciousness of those other students on the main campus and to our larger community as a whole through art.”
He also mentioned that the show isn’t entirely brand new material. “This is the second performance of the work. Last spring was the first pilot of the project involving over 20 students and community members,” he said. He talked about the show having a similar concept, but it will feel different and involve PVCC students in the prison system from Fluvanna women’s correctional system, Buckingham men’s facility, and the Dillwyn men’s facility.
“The show will run for at least one hour and include video footage involving the prisoners. In the spring, the hope is to do a performance with the prisoners themselves for each other,” he said. “We are waiting for final approvals on that. Footage from this performance, and last year‘s performance is being edited to be shown to prisoners to see the work. This work is being documented with the help of the Virginia foundation of Humanities through Lighthouse, a local video company that has worked with at-risk youth, prisoners, and other projects related.”
Flying in Place: Liberating Voices from Virginia’s Prisons will have shows on Friday Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday Dec. 4 at 2:30 p.m.. All performances will be free to view.
