As the fog descended upon San Quentin in the early hours of Nov. 8, anxiety rose among the men and women waiting to enter the gates of San Quentin to see “Parallel Play: Stories from San Quentin Inspired by ‘The Merchant of Venice.’”
Several weeks ago, the play was canceled because of an institutional lockdown. On this day, the play was delayed due to a hanging fog over the prison. By afternoon as the fog lifted so did people’s spirits as more than 100 outside guest began filling the Protestant Chapel, which served as a theater.
An ensemble of prisoners and members of the Marin Shakespeare Company performed 13 one-act plays, which engaged audience members from first to last. The entire production was directed by Suraya Susan Keating and produced by Lesley Currier.
The Marin Shakespeare Company and the William James Association have supported San Quentin Drama Club’s performances for the last 11 years.
LeMar “Maverick” Harrison began the first play “The Mis-Motivation of Maverick” with a musical performance. “Before you desire to do anything you have to be inspired,” sung Maverick.
Maverick then told the story of a violent up-bringing punctuated with beatings from his step-father and the murder of his brother. Maverick felt himself pulled into the gang life.
In his monologue, Maverick finds himself in prison for murder, and asks, “Wonder what life would have been like if you wasn’t born a fool?”
The play transitions to a fantasy scene of Maverick graduating from high school, leaving the viewer with the thought, what would this man’s life have looked like if he had been inspired to do great things?
“Salt on a Bleeding Wound,” by Reese emphasized a grandmother’s death and the pain of losing one loved one after another.
“Just Another Part of Growing Up,” by James Mays told the story of how Mays left home after an argument with his mother over the piercing of his ear. As he set out on his own he gets involved with drugs and guns. It’s a poignant story of how a mother’s love is not enough to keep a child out of trouble sometimes.
“Reflection,” by Larry Mosley highlighted the different aspects of the self.
“The Testimony,” by Kimani Randall received a standing ovation for his performance about street life. Randall reflected upon his relationship to God and recited bible verses that correlated with his life. Randall said, “The only father I had was Lord Jesus.”
In “For My Father” John Neblett said his play was a memorial to his father who died last year.
“What is the act of forgiveness?” asked Rodney “RC” Capell in his play titled “Forgiveness.” The performance included an apology to all the women he cheated on in his life.
Nythell “Nate” Collins rapped in his performance titled “They Come Free.” The line “Nothing is perfect on earth’s surface,” was repeated to emphasize that we all make mistakes. Collins rapped, “Different paths but the same purpose,” reminding the audience we all live our lives in different ways, but none of us live forever.
“Redemption of a Faust,” by Tristan Jones brought laughter to the audience. Jones told the audience he only had 90 days left in San Quentin, which somehow seemed bittersweet.
In a unique play written by JulianGlenn Padgett and Ron “Yana” C. Self titled “The Untouchables,” veteran suicide was exposed. Survivor’s guilt is a real problem for veterans, and when the words “I just want the pain to stop,” were spoken by Padgett, the moment became tense. “If a human is trained to kill another, they are already trained to kill self,” Padgett reminded the audience—a cryptic message three days before Veteran’s Day.
“Fenced-in Man,” by Carlos Flores was an abstract play designed to make the viewer think. The words “mud and blood” were repeated while an interpretive dance took place. The scene was moving, ethereal, and captivating.
Preston “Zoe” Gardner wrote and preformed “Who Is Love?” which posed the question who and what is love? While the act was serious, a hint of comedy was included that made the audience laugh. The answer to these questions came at the end when Preston said, “It’s plain and simple, it’s whoever and whatever you want it to be.”
The last performance was the “Bembe Healing Ceremony,” by Belize. “When someone acts mercilessly in the Bembe tribe, they come together and show them mercy,” said Belize. The ceremony was full of drumming, dancing, and singing.
The show ended with another standing ovation.
The entire program was filmed thanks to a grant from Cal Humanities, and will air online at www.marinshakespeare.org. Past performances of Shakespeare at San Quentin also can be viewed at this site. A transcript of the play will be offered to students so they can perform the stories of the men in San Quentin.
Producer Lesley Currier summed up the day when she said, “The men today are acting like men. It takes tremendous courage to stand up here.”
