The Marin Shakespeare class at San Quentin continued its tradition of performing classic plays from the English bard’s portfolio. On June 30, it was a Caribbean-themed interpretation of Shakespeare’s comedy, “The Taming of the Shrew.”
The event in the Garden Chapel also featured a discussion about how San Quentin can transform into a rehabilitation center.
Some of the residents in the audience said they were skeptical at first about Shakespeare but came away impressed.
“In my community growing up, we didn’t have plays,” said Jessie Milo. “At 43, this is my first play I’ve seen in my life. I think the actors were courageous and now I know the term ‘theatre geek’ is a badge of honor.”
The acting class, however, is about more than just entertainment — it is also about self-improvement, camaraderie, and reflecting on the timeless issues that Shakespeare writes about so poetically.
“Being part of Shakespeare helps you think outside of the box, there are no boundaries in here,” said resident Kunta Rigmaden. “All of the unnecessary divides are gone and we just treat each other as humans.”
The performance opened with an introduction by Bruce “Brother Jay” Bowman, who had the audience laughing with his portrayal of Sly, a drunken swashbuckler.
“How much does it cost a pirate to get his ear pierced?” he asked the audience. “A buccaneer!”
Next, he was joined on stage by “Captain Crunch” and his band of pirates to sing an unruly version of the pirate theme song, “Cocomo.”
The play is about a rich landowner, Baptista, who has two beautiful daughters he wishes to marry off. The oldest, Katarina, speaks her mind and expresses her emotions freely but is labeled as difficult and called “the Cursed.”
The younger, Bianca, appears to be the perfect girl and has many suitors. However, their father forbids Bianca to marry unless Kate marries first. Some of Bianca suitors disguise themselves as tutors , after which drama and shenanigans ensue.
Playing the role of Baptista was resident Robert Dunham, who looked the part in a purple, velvet jacket with his ponytail and goatee. Kate was played by class instructor Suraya Keating and co-instructor Lesley Currier played Bianca. Currier was hard to recognize wearing a huge, curly-blonde wig.
Resident Kolby Southwood played Lucentio, the young man who eventually wins Bianca’s hand. He wore a black top hat, sunglasses and red velvet coattails.
SQ’s Yanci Dakin played his trusty servant Tranio. He impressed with his fake accent even though it was his first time on stage. Dakin said later that it took a lot of studying to remember all 147 of his lines.
Longtime class member Darwin Billingsley played the role of Petruchio, who sought Kate’s hand in order to get rich. He got some laughter when he strutted up to Kate to woo her, and when he dapped with residents Henok Rufael as Hortensio and Arturo Vazquez as Petruchio’s servant.
The final act was a wedding feast and a bet about the obedience of the wives. In the end, Kate becomes the submissive wife while Bianca becomes unruly.
After taking a bow, the cast discussed some of the issues raised by the play. Currier noted that, “Bianca was literally sold to the highest bidder, and told she has to conform to a male concept of beauty.”
Rigmaden performed a spoken-word piece about these issues. “How do you tame a woman?” he asked. “You can’t tame a woman just like you can’t tame the wind. Let’s not tame our women but treat them like God’s greatest gift.”
He later said that, “Some people forget the struggles women had to go through to get to where they are now. Even though there are people today still trying to take that away from them.”
Southwood said women are to be “cherished and loved, not taken advantage of.”
Members of the audience asked the cast what the acting program means to them.
“I think the program, what it does, is it brings a whole bunch of people from different backgrounds together and we share with each other,” Billingsley said.
He spoke about finding hidden talent through the class that you never knew you had before, “like finding a whole new life, a whole new side of yourself.”
Class member Jay Kim said, “It continually teaches me not to take things too seriously. Be you, be yourself and bring humor, even to prison, because it’s healthy. What Leslie is doing with this program is amazing.”
Currier asked the men in blue what they would like to see in order for San Quentin to transform into a model prison, as has been proposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Kim spoke to the need to increase literacy and add more programs for creative expression. “If you have more inclusive spaces were people of all different backgrounds can come together, it is powerful,” he said. “Also, we need more healthy food.”
Dakin spoke to the need for more “programs and vocations for people who have physical disabilities.”
Rufael noted that what he would like to see is “the fourth pillar (of the California Model), the trauma-informed organization. That’s exactly what needs to take place — learning how to respond when people are in stress and crises.” He said Keating and Currier both model this, as things are not always easy in the class.
One resident in the audience spoke about the long waitlists for programs and the need for more teachers. “You got guys ready to get in there and do the work but can’t,” he said.
As a teacher, Currier said she hears many stories about the long waitlists. She noted that it took 45 minutes to get the costumes into the prison through the gate for the play.
“The admin staff that support programming need more support themselves, especially if programming is going to be scaled up,” she said.
