Charles Crow

Motivational speaker Bob Goff led an eclectic group of celebrities into San Quentin’s Protestant Chapel on Feb. 25 to bring a message of hope and inspiration through “Adventures in Faith and Love.”

Some at San Quentin know Goff from previous visits. Derry “Brotha D” Brown smiled broadly as he talked about the warmth of Goff’s greeting, “He embraces people; that’s what I like about him,” said Brown. “He’s inclusive, not exclusive. The other people [with him] were good, too.”

The other people Brown referred to include the cast of Duck Dynasty, American Idol star Danny Gokey, and Miles Adcox, an internationally renowned rehabilitation leader.

San Quentin’s Captain Escalera opened the program with a brief prayer. Gokey, third-place finisher on American Idol several seasons ago, followed with two inspirational songs, the second of which had everyone standing, clapping, and a few even dancing in the aisle.

The singer then delivered a brief inspirational message before handing the microphone to Duck Dynasty star Willie Robertson, who sported his trademark long hair, full beard, and American flag bandana. Robertson is a great storyteller and he shared amusing anecdotes about his experiences as a celebrity.

Robertson has met three presidents, including presidential candidate Donald J. Trump, whom he encountered at an Oklahoma State Fair. Robertson drew a laugh by talking about the crowd at the Oklahoma fair and noting, “That’s my people.”

The Duck Dynasty star also met President Obama at a national correspondents’ dinner, and when the President gave him a bear hug nearby Secret Service agents eyed him closely. He told them, “He’s hugging me. I’m not hugging him.” Robertson’s message was inspirational, but he also evoked a steady stream of laughter with his humorous, Southern-style presentation, and he left the stage to a standing ovation.

Gokey returned to the stage for two more songs before turning the microphone over to Adcox, who related his story with the Southern accent that was characteristic of several of Goff’s entourage. He said that he had been abused as a child, got caught up in an effort to self-medicate, and eventually sought help for addiction and mental health problems.

After achieving his own sobriety, Adcox began to help others work through twelve-step programs. Since his recovery from addiction he has “been turning my mess into my message,” he said. His reputation for helping others recover from addiction grew and he became a regular guest on the Dr. Phil show. At one point, he hosted a talk show on the Fox network.

Adcox was humble about his ability to contribute to others, “I don’t have anything to stand on but my story,” he said. Nevertheless, as blessings accumulated in his life he “realized my dreams were beginning to come true.” Finally, he found his way to his current role on Goff’s team. Adcox finished by noting his favorite proverb that espouses the virtues of twelve-step groups, “Rows inform; circles heal.”

Goff stepped in to wrap up the evening with a word of encouragement to the audience. “You’re our church, too,” he said. Then he asked the three women in his troupe to come to the stage. Korie Robertson, Jody Luke, and Dae Eriksson each promised to keep the audience in prayer and offered hopeful words to San Quentin’s residents. Korie Robertson said, “You’re in our hearts.”

“Bob Goff is a kindhearted and loving person and the people he brings in are cut out of the same cloth,” said San Quentin resident Kenny Rogers, nodding and smiling enthusiastically. He added, “All of them are loving Christians that believe in helping people.”

Gokey returned to the stage to close “Adventures in Faith and Love” with a final song. A line of San Quentin residents formed to seek autographs from the celebrity visitors and to offer their thanks for the visit, bringing a close to an evening of laughter, tears, cheers, and inspiration.

The Boxer Joe Orrach showing his tap-dancing skills

Finding your unique voice and identity is important for everyone, boxer-tap dancer Joe Orrach illustrated for a San Quentin Prison audience.

The show encouraged in- carcerated people to tell their own stories as part of their re- habilitation, making the show more than just entertainment for San Quentin residents.

Nearly 100 people made up the audience in the Protestant Chapel on Dec. 13 for the program titled In My Corner.

Orrach told his story with a combination of boxing moves and tap dancing, reflecting his past as Air Force welterweight boxing champion turned professional tap dancer.

He narrated, danced and mimed his authentic tale of growing up in the Bronx, the son of a Puerto Rican father and an Italian American mother. The dominant themes in Orrach’s progression from boyhood to young man were boxing, dancing, and his struggle to gain the approval of his hard-to- please father.

The show began with Orrach jumping rope on a raised wooden platform, tapping out a beat each time the rope arced over his head. The slap of the rope against the wood blended with the tapping. “I loved when he was able to incorporate his jump rope into his tap rhythm,” said San Quentin resident Loren Mears.

As the story progressed, the boxing theme continued, with Orrach punching a speed-bag to a smooth jazz beat.

Mears smiled when he recalled this part of the act, “What really impressed me were his speed-bag skills,” Mears said. “Every time he threw a punch, his whole body was in it. You could tell he was a very good boxer.”

“I had never seen anyone act out his whole life all by himself,” said Mears.

The former boxer appeared to be in fight condition as he moved vigorously, without breaks, throughout the 75-minute show.

Orrach reported it was through his boxing that he ultimately gained his father’s approval. That breakthrough came on the night of his first fight, which he pantomimed for his San Quentin audience. Knocked down three times in the first round, he came back to win the fight in the second.

He retired from boxing after five years and moved on to a successful career in dance. As a young boxer, he had been encouraged to study ballet by his trainer. He ultimately found his dancing niche in tap, touring inter- nationally and dancing with greats like Gregory Hines.

At one performance, Hines was in attendance. In a tribute to Orrach, Hines “threw his shoes on the stage,” said Orrach’s script writer, Lizbeth Hasse.

On stage with Orrach were composer and keyboard player Matthew Clark and percussionist Dan Gonzalez. They skillfully blended their supporting sounds with Orrach’s movement and narrative.

Pauses in the act were consistently met with applause and the audience frequently broke into laughter.

Orrach told his story with humor, passion, and intensity in English (with a Bronx accent) and in Spanish.

When he lapsed into Spanish, it invariably evoked laughter from Spanish-speaking audience members, who seemed to share an inside joke. Bilingual audience member Luis Figuera confirmed that Orrach was indeed sharing some good-natured fun with his fellow Spanish speakers.

A promotional flyer explained that “Orrach and his team work to illustrate the challenges and importance of finding one’s unique voice and identity.”

Orrach has presented the show in a juvenile facility, but this was the first performance in an adult prison.

After the show, audience members responded with a standing ovation and lined up to shake Orrach’s hand, thank him, and praise the performance.

Orrach, perspiring heavily from the intensity of the performance, looked like a boxer after a fight.

When President Obama Hugged Duck Dynasty Star

Inspirational entertainer urges others to claim their unique identity