Dozens of Bay Area community members came inside San Quentin State Prison on June 25, mingling with nearly 100 convicted criminals to watch a Shakespearean play performed by inmate/actors, working with interns from The Marin Shakespeare Company.
“When the interns first got here, they watched us with nervousness. But, by the end of it, they come here to be with us,” said inmate/actor Rodney “RC” Capell.
The play, The Merry Wives of Windsor, used rock and classic rock, easy listening and rap music to help drive the plot direction.
The use of modern-day outfits along with 17th century garb, plus a man in drag, slightly altered the comedy’s visual effect, but not the storyline about a two-timing husband that contained plenty of sexual innuendo in 17th century England.
Directors Lesley Currier and Suraya Keating were very creative by using song lyrics to invoke a particular mood in a scene. When a love scene used “Baby I need your loving. Got to get all your loving,” the audience caught on and gave a round of applause. The song lyrics, “shot through the heart, you give love a bad name,” were used to depict a heartbreaking scene.
The audience was kept engaged by the comedic performances by JulianGlenn “Luke” Padgett as Master Ford, Nythell “Nate” Collins as the host of the Garter Inn and James Mays Sr. as Sir John Falstaff.
Joey Mason showed bravado as he donned a dress and played a woman, Mistress Quickly. Referring to the life lesson he learned from The Merry Wives of Windsor, Mason said, “Courage is giving of yourself wholeheartedly, to be fearless in the process of healing and forgiveness.”
The play performed inside the prison’s Garden Chapel was outstanding, considering the actors had to pull off this Shakespearean feat without its characters touching or kissing their female counterparts. Moreover, the brawls were pulled off cleverly — not a blow landed.
Currier and Keating brought the spirit of the drama close to the audience by having the actors enter the stage via the chapel’s center aisle. In other scenes, the actors interacted directly with the audience —a ll of which made The Merry Wives of Windsor more engaging.
Even though the 17th century language was somewhat cumbersome, the actors projected themselves well, making up for the linguistic difficulties. Overall, the audience appreciated the comedic effort, as laughter constantly filled the air.
“When we can laugh at a part of ourselves that has previously caused us suffering, we are perhaps one step closer to healing that part,” the director’s notes read. “Regardless of whether or not you relate to any one specific character, we hope this show encourages you to laugh out loud – frequently – and reflect on where in your own life you may benefit from bring the gift of lightness.”
The finale used Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror,” with Keating dancing in the aisles.
Afterward, the inmates were asked how acting together has affected their relationships.
“What it has taught me is that these people are like my family and I have to push through. Sometimes we have bad days. But we have to deal with it to get to the things important in our lives,” Rodney “RC” Capell said.
“We meet as a group,” Antwan Williams added. “There’s so much that we do that we have to lean on each other. We catch each other when we’re about to fall. It’s an amazing feeling.”
Padgett explained his process for getting into character this way: “It’s different every time; this time it was something that I felt as I rehearsed on the yard, in the cell, at work. It was a hiccup. And then it kept evolving. I felt it in my heart, and then the character takes on, and then I just become.”
“We chose this play because it allowed the men to take on vibrant characters,” Keating said. “We did a lot of work on what makes things funny. We worked on trust, especially for Eddie, this has been a stretch.”
“I want to thank everyone for being supportive. It was a challenge for me,” Eddie Raja-pasith replied.
The female parts were played by Lynn, as Mistress Page, Rebecca as Mistress Page’s daughter and Marianne as Mistress Ford.
San Quentin Prison Report used three cameras to film the play: Ruben Ramirez, front stationary, E. “Phil” Phillips, right stationary and Brian Asey, mobile hand-held.
The Marin Shakespeare Company used a single camera, center stage.