The six women have stepped out into the light in saturated saffron blouses, and even if shadows creep into the creases from time to time, they are no longer defined by the darkness.
Choices that led to incarceration threatened to consume them, yet through seeking an understanding — not only from within themselves, but each other — they forge a bond of sisterhood and build self-acceptance as they seek redemption, all of which is expressed in an upcoming performance of “In My Shoes” by the Judy Dworin Performance Project. The sold-out performance piece will kick off Dworin’s 25th anniversary season Dec. 8 at the Hartford Stage.
“They bring a realness and an authenticity to the work that I think is pivotal because I think there are many types of stereotypes and perceptions of people in prison, and I think the only way to dispel that is to bring their real voices and beings forward to say, ‘you know, maybe you need to think of this differently and bring this to a human level,'” said Dworin of the six former inmates who join the professional ensemble for this performance.
Drawing inspiration from the courage and resilience of the women who have been incarcerated at York Correctional Facility in Niantic has been a journey for Dworin, who seeks to shine a spotlight on social justice and the rejuvenating capacity of the human spirit.
Since 2005, Dworin has been working with the women at York, and this performance, which is marking a 10-year commitment, is a significant kickoff of her 25th season.
“It’s very much in the style of the pieces we do at York,” said Dworin, whose ensemble does residencies with the women that culminate in a performance at York —- one for the women and another for their families.
“In My Shoes” allows the general public to view the type of work that is created at York, with a minimalist set, pared down to three microphones up front.
“It feels like we are taking that and bringing it out to the public in the only way we can — I chose not to embellish it with any theatrical elements,” said Dworin.
The piece flows gently at times, then rages and confronts. Fluidly, the dance, song and vignettes unfold to tell not only individual stories but also to explore some of the societal ills that put women in prison.
In a poem titled “Love Letters,” the type of implacable fate that has been meted out is performed by Kathy Wyatt, who wrote the piece and is also a former inmate of York.
Sections of “Love Letters” unearths a portrait of a different type of “prince charming.”
“You always told her
Home is where the heart is
Home sweet home
When Grandpa comes to visit
He gets her alone
Kisses her like Prince Charming
Smells like mothballs
Tastes like sin
Now Daddy’s little Princess
Carves love letters into her skin”
Sections of the poem detail domestic violence, as well as drug addiction, but remain, like the work as a whole, focused on women and the larger issues that lead to incarceration.
“Something happens,” explains Wyatt, who spent eight years at York for a fatal DUI, and is now herself helping others through her work for Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery.
“As little girls, women in particular don’t think they want to grow up and shoot dope in their veins and sell their butt on the street corner. We need to look at what causes the break, and the arts is a gentle way of doing it, and it works,” said Wyatt.
Also finding solace in the arts’ ability to heal has been Suzi Jensen, a young woman whose mother had first been incarcerated at York when Jensen was 12, returning again when Jensen was 18. Anger at her mother was latent, said Jensen, and when she attended a JDPP performance a few years ago, she wasn’t even speaking to her mother.
“I was able to hear what my mom wanted to tell us in a different way — a more artistic way, and that resonated a bit — Judy’s work is a way to communicate without talking directly,” said Jensen, who also works as a guest artist for JDPP “Bridging Boundaries,” a program that uses the arts and social work to bridge the forced separation between incarcerated mothers and their children.
“I think I’ve come to realize that it is not just the person who is incarcerated, but there is a whole ripple effect,” said Dworin. “If we don’t see a person in prison we kind of feel like we have permission not to think about it anymore but in fact, prison is a microcosm of many things in the world that need to change, and education is one — and I want to share that in the most positive and constructive way I can.”
Editor’s note: This story has been update from an earlier version to remove that author Wally Lamb will be introducing the performance.
