TAKE ACTION - Local Community Outreach
“Dead Man Walking,” has a way of stirring up community engagement in the issues surrounding capital punishment. Below are some examples of outreach in the local community. Please contact us with stories of the way your campus involved the larger community beyond the campus.
University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls/Waterloo
University of Northern Iowa hosted a workshop during the time of their play production in February 2006 entitled "Theatre for Community and Change." Community and church leaders, juvenile justice workers and other community activists were invited to participate in this unique workshop led by Michael Keck, a New York artist/actor and activist. Michael spoke about his work with the incarcerated and their families by using the medium of theatre to awaken insights and communication with one another. The group then engaged in small groups to create theatre.
Western Michigan University, Michigan
The Survivors of Violence Committee hosted a Healing Service on Feb. 19, 2006, in conjunction with the performance of "Dead Man Walking" at Western Michigan University. Members of the SOV committee also participated in discussions after each performance of the play. A strong partner in these community events has been the Sisters of St Joseph of Nazareth, Mich.
Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts
Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts, produced “Dead Man Walking,” in early December 2005. One of the performances took place on the evening of Dec. 1 when the state of North Carolina carried out the 1,000th execution in the U.S. since the death penalty was restored in 1974. The students decided to make this number real to their college and local community by building 1,000 small wooden crosses, each with a name of an executed person. They placed the crosses in the grounds between the administration building and the street. The sight of these 1,000 crosses was powerful enough, but in the middle of the night over 45 of the crosses had plastic covered papers taped to them describing the violent crime of the executed killer. The discourse on the death penalty was alive and very visible at Elms College.
It was a spectacular sight for the entire campus and surrounding community. Following the production of the play on Dec. 1, the audience was invited to join in a vigil outside the auditorium to reflect upon the significance of this particular execution. What does it reflect about who we are as a nation?
Napa Valley College, Napa, California
Because Napa Valley College is situated in a rural county, the play organizers decided to take their production of “Dead Man Walking,” on a walk through their famous wine valley to any school that invited them to perform the play. Their road show production consisted of a cast of 12, a large canvas backdrop with a painted scene portraying elements of the story, and a few black cubes for the staging.
On April 11, 2006, the first performance was held at their home campus theatre. Then word was sent out to all the schools in the valley that the play was available to them upon request. Bookings immediately came in from high schools and junior highs across the valley. Because of this county-wide outreach the local community became very involved in the Play Project at all levels, i.e. community theatres, churches, and a variety of community based organizations. The final production of the play was performed in a local church in Napa so that more people would be able to see the play.
|
