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Rainbow of DesireCommunity Teach In; Portland, Maine; Fall, 2008Maine Inside Out artists facilitated an afternoon intensive Rainbow of Desire community workshop as created by Augusto Boal, the Brazilian visionary who developed Theatre of the Oppressed (T.O.). T.O. is a form of community-based education that uses theater as a tool for social change. Originally developed out of Boal’s work with peasant and worker populations, it is now used all over the world for social and political activism, conflict resolution, community building, therapy, and government legislation. Designed for non-actors, it uses the universal language of theatre as a springboard for people and whole communities to investigate their lives, identify their dreams, and reinvent their future. Theater of the Oppressed and Augusto Boal’s techniques are a cornerstone of Maine Inside Out’s work. Maine Inside Out artists use Boal techniques in workshop sessions to create the performances. |
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Who We Were, Who We Are, Who We Can BeWomen’s Re-Entry Center; Bangor, Maine; Fall, 2009Maine Inside Out worked collaboratively with six women from the Maine State Department of Corrections’ Women’s Reentry Center to create an original performance. During ten workshop sessions, the women used theater exercises and play development techniques to shape their final performance, “Who we were, Who we are, Who we can be.” The workshops concluded with a free public performance at the University of Maine Orono Pavilion Theater with sponsorship from the University of Maine Orono departments of Women's Studies, Sociology & Theater. In short scenes, movement pieces, and a succession of shifting images, the women creatively portrayed a young, innocent child growing up amidst difficult circumstances of sexual, emotional and physical abuse, family violence, substance abuse, and mental illness, and the path which can lead one into the corrections system and also out of it. With over forty people in attendance including guards, staff members, and inmates from the Re Entry Center, the performance was an incredible testament to the women’s collective life experience and their hope and intention for their futures. The performance encouraged a profound dialogue between diverse audience members. Audience members described the performance as, “a performance bigger than any stage” and a performance that “opened eyes to the individual behind bars, and also encouraged some “to help make a difference.” Program participants expressed the project as "a healing process,” "opening a new chapter," and “the most amazing, powerful thing I’ve done with my life.” This project was funded by the Community Building Grant of the Maine Community Foundation Grant. |
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Listen UpYouth Building Alternatives/Alternatives to Detention; Portland, Maine; Spring, 2009Through a collaboration with the Youth Building Alternatives and Alternatives to Detention Programs at Learning Works in Portland, Maine, Maine Inside Out artists collaborated with youth to create an original performance. Alternatives to Detention is a structured and supervised program that focuses on therapeutic intervention and prevention for youth involved in the Juvenile Justice System. Youth Building Alternatives is an alternative education program serving at risk youth between the ages of 16 – 24 years old. The program includes academics, GED preparation, vocational education, job skills, life skills, and counseling. Through funding through the Edward H. Daveis Benevolent Fund of the Maine Community Foundation grant, six students worked for four weeks to create “Listen Up,” an original performance about the connections between poverty, family, substance use, addiction, and violence. “Listen Up” was originally performed at Learning Works for a public audience. The show was also performed at the Maine State Housing Authority’s all staff day for over 100 employees. |
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The Weeping CityPortland High School; Portland, Maine; Winter 2009/2010Eight students from a variety of different cultural backgrounds (Rwandan, Sudanese, Guatemalan, Haitian, & Ethiopian, among others) performed their work "A Weeping City" after 6 weeks of workshops with Maine Inside Out artists. The performance, inspired by recent episodes of violence involving the police, discussed the issues of safety and community, drawing from from interviews with school and other public officials, personal experiences, and poetry. The students explored the ways language and cultural differences contribute to breakdowns in communication, and challenged the audience to open their minds and hearts to dialogue rather than entrenching in a specific viewpoint based on assumptions, generalizations, and fear. The performance debuted at Portland High School in November of 2009. The audience had strong reactions to the performance, and the ensuing discussion was incredibly energizing for all. This was the first creative exploration of this complicated and emotionally volatile topic, and the very first led by youth in the community. Following the performance, "A Weeping City" was performed at the Portland Police Department's "pilot" Cultural Awareness and Competency Program and Dialogue. The Department of Justice's Community Relations Service suggested that Maine Inside Out be invited to incorporate the performance into the overall Cultural Awareness Program and Dialogue that the Portland police department is working on. Inspired by “A Weeping City,” the police chief intends to have the police department perform a play of their own around this topic. “The Weeping City” will continue to be performed at various venues in the greater Portland area. This project and performances have been generously funded by Maine State Housing Authority. |
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Who We Are, Not Where We're FromLong Creek Youth Development Center; South Portland, Maine; Winter/Spring 2010http://www.pressherald.com/news/long-creek-play-tells-residents-stories_... |
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