Marin Shakespeare Company has been able to create a rich archive of videos of prison performances including Shakespeare Plays, Veterans Plays, and Autobiographical Story-telling. This page contains links to performance videos in chronological order, as well as videos about the program and our powerful documentary “What We Wish We Knew as Teenagers”. You can also visit our YouTube page to see playlists of performances sorted by institution.
Creative Writing from Inside – Click here to read a variety of poems, scenes, and letters written by actors who were incarcerated during the pandemic.
Success Stories – Learn about some of the accomplished participants in our Social Justice programs, many of whom are available to hire for speaking engagements and community forums.
Videos about the Programs – links below and accessible on YouTube
Some of our Favorite Links:
Dameion Brown’s 2020 TedX talk (12 minutes)
Shakespeare in Prison – Al Jazera USA’s 2.5 minute video that has received over 8 million views.
Prison Bridges – a 12 minute video about Shakespeare at San Quentin and the healing power of arts in corrections, by David White (2012)
Shakespeare in Blue – a 36-minute documentary film by David White (2012)
What We Wish We Knew As Teenagers – interviews with Shakespeare at San Quentin actors about what it was like to be a teenager, what they would say to teenagers today, and what they wish they’d known when they were teenagers (2014)
KQED Newsroom: A 2016 special report that includes “Big Azz” talking about his experience playing a butterfly and Julius Caesar (start at minute 11).
TEDx San Quentin: Parallel plays from prison | Juan Carlos Meza and Nate Collins
For more stories and news coverage about these programs, visit our blog. Scroll down the right side of the page to CATEGORIES and choose Social Justice/Prison Programs.
Fabulous photos by Peter Merts of prison arts programs, including ours, at California Prisons.
Videos of Individual Plays, with Question and Answer Sessions:
2023
JULIUS CAESAR Monologues, High Desert State Prison, December 19, 2023
PARALLEL PLAY inspired by THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, San Quentin State Prison, November 24, 2023
ESCAPING THE LOOP, an original play by Acting for Veterans, San Quentin State Prison, November 17, 2023
HENRY IV, PART 1, Solano Prison, November 4, 2023
HENRY IV, PART 1, Solano Prison, November 4, 2023 – Post-show Q&A
A FAMILY’S HEART by Rudy Murphy, Solano Prison, November 4, 2023
MACBETH, Folsom Prison, October 31, 2023
COMEDY OF ERRORS, Mule Creek State Prison, September 26, 2023
THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, San Quentin State Prison, June 30, 2023
THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, Q&A, San Quentin State Prison, June 30, 2023
2022
TWELFTH NIGHT Edited and Interpreted by Shakespeare at Solano, Level 2
TWELFTH NIGHT Q + A: Shakespeare at Solano, Level 2
JULIUS CAESAR TWISTED at Solano State Prison, September 3, 2022
Q + A: JULIUS CAESAR TWISTED at Solano State Prison, September 3 2022
“I am Hamlet” Performed at Mule Creek State Prison on August 23, 2023
Henry IV part 1 Performed at Folsom State Prison
Henry IV part 1 Performed on August 19th, 2022 at San Quentin State Prison
Henry IV part 2 Performed on August 19th, 2022 at San Quentin State Prison
MSC SOLANO VETERANS PROGRAM “Moments of Recall” Performed on August 30th, 2022
RICHARD III – San Quentin State Prison – June, 2022
2021
Veterans performance of “The Field” at San Quentin
The Field is an original work featuring the true stories of people who have served in the US military and are now incarcerated in San Quentin State Prison. Exploring the evolution from violent and lonely childhoods, to the traumas of combat, to the fractured thinking that led to criminal behavior, The Field shows how gentleness and connection between one another, and within ourselves, can shape a path toward healing.
2020
“Playback Theatre” with Tony Cyprien , Jamal Duckworth, Suryaya Keating, Pamela Ann Keane, Zoe Gardner, Mitzi,
Joey Mason, and John Neblett
January 25, 2020
Performance
2019
HIGH DESERT STATE PRISON, November, 2019
High Desert State Prison is a Level IV facility located in Susanville, CA. We drove through a blizzard so that these performances would go on.
PARALLEL PLAY – “Stories from San Quentin” October 11, 2019
Performance
Q&A
PARALLEL PLAY – “Stories from San Quentin” October 23, 2019
Due to a staffing issue, only the first half of this performance was able to be filmed.
Performance
MACBETH, Deuel Vocational Institution, June 2, 2019
Performance
Q&A
RETURNED CITIZENS THEATRE TROUPE, “Breaking Through” May 31, 2019
Performance
Q&A
JULIUS CAESAR, Mule Creek State Prison, May 31, 2019
Performance
Q&A
THE WINTER’S TALE, San Quentin State Prison, May 17, 2019
Performance
Q&A
MACBETH, California Medical Facility, May 2, 2019
Performance
Q&A
PERICLES, Solano State Prison, Level 3, April 27, 2019
Performance
Q&A
CYMBELINE, Solano State Prison, Level 2, April 20, 2019
Performance
Who Are You by Pharaoh Brooks
Q&A
WHO ARE YOU Lyrics by Pharaoh Brooks
KING LEAR, Solano State Prison, Level 2, April 6, 2019
Performance
Q&A
THE TEMPEST, Folsom State Prison, February 26, 2019
Performance
Q&A
2018
“Patriotism and Politics”, an original play by the men of Veterans Healing Veterans from the Inside Out
PARALLEL PLAY: STORIES FROM SAN QUENTIN – Performed October 19, 2018
The Performance
Q & A
PARALLEL PLAY: STORIES FROM SAN QUENTIN – Performed October 12, 2018
The Performance
Q & A
Durr Standup – pre-show comedy
HENRY IV, PART ONE, California Health Care Facility, Stockton, June 10, 2018
JULIUS CAESAR, Folsom State Prison, May 29, 2018
Dance Lessons
Old Fart Face Prentice
Men of Magnitude
Afternoons in Sam’s Room
Flying the Kite
The First Call
Willie Malopo and His Pillow
An Event of Cultural Significance
A World Without Collisions
The Second Call
It’s Time Now to Wake Up
Call Me Master Harold
You’ve Done It Now
The Twist Ending
You Can’t Fly Kites on Rainy DaysPost-Show Q&A – Master Harold and the Boys
THE TEMPEST, California Medical Center, March 29, 2018
Welcome
Performance
Q & A
HIGH DESERT STATE PRISON, 2018 – “Everything’s Relative”
For the first time, we were able to video short performances by the men at this Level IV Maximum Security institution
Group One
Group Two
2017
Performance at Solano – Performed November 10, 2017
P@S is a group formed by men from Shakespeare at Solano Level II to tell original stories through theatre; it is inspired by but not supervised by Marin Shakespeare Company.
PARALLEL PLAY: STORIES FROM SAN QUENTIN – Performed October 20, 2017
The Show
Pre-Show Stand-up Comedy by Eric Durr
Post-Show Question and Answer with the Cast
CHANGES – The second production of autobiographical stories by the Returned Citizens Theatre Troupe, June 2, 2017.
HAMLET – Performed by actors at Solano Sate Prison, Level II, May 27, 2017
The Introduction
The Play
Q&A
THE TAMING OF THE SHREW – Performed by women at Folsom Women’s Facility, May 21, 2017.
RICHARD II – Performed at San Quentin State Prison, May 19, 2017.
MEASURE FOR MEASURE – Performed at San Quentin State Prison, May 12, 2017.
KING JOHN – Performed at Solano State Prison, Level III, April 8, 2017
KING JOHN Rap video – Pharaoh Brooks performs an original rap number telling the story of the play
King John Rap text – by Pharaoh Brooks
KING JOHN Question and Answer
2016
FREEDOM ISN’T FREE – An original play created in collaboration with members of Veterans Healing Veterans from the Inside Out, December 29, 2016
PARALLEL PLAY 2016: Autobiographical Stories from San Quentin, October 21, 2016
Parallel Play 2016 post-show Question & Answer Session
NOBODY TOLD US WE WERE DIAMONDS: THE STORY OF HOW I FOUND ME
The inaugural production of autobiographical stories by the Returned Citizens Theatre Troupe, May 20, 2016.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM at Solano Prison, March 19, 2016. Level II.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM Part One
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM Part Two
THE TEMPEST at Solano Prison, May 14, 2016. Level III.
AS YOU LIKE IT at San Quentin, May 20, 2016.
AS YOU LIKE IT post-show Q&A
THE TEMPEST at San Quentin, May 27, 2016.
2015
San Quentin:
Stories from San Quentin 2015 – Parallel Play: autobiographical stories written and performed by Shakespeare at San Quentin actors
Stories from San Quentin 2015 Q&A
“Life Stories” – Song
Stand Up – Comedy
Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar Q&A
Theatre of War
an original theatre piece created and performed by veterans who are incarcerated from Veterans Healing Veterans from the Inside Out, under the direction of Lesley Currier.
Theatre of War – Q& A
Theatre of War – Sole Survivor Song
Theatre of War – Now I Can Rise Song
Solano State Prison:
Macbeth at Solano State Prison, May 2015. Level II.
2014
Shakespeare at San Quentin’s The Merry Wives of Windsor
2013
Shakespeare at San Quentin’s The Merchant of Venice
Stories from San Quentin 2013
Original autobiographical stories inspired by The Merchant of Venice
Stories from San Quentin 2013 Individual Videos and Scripts
2012
Shakespeare at San Quentin’s Hamlet
Intro to Hamlet
Post-show Q & A Hamlet
Stories from San Quentin, 2012
Original Autobiographical Stories inspired by Hamlet – Video and Scripts.”
2011
Shakespeare at San Quentin’s Twelfth Night
Intro to Twelfth Night
Post-Show Q&A Twelfth Night
2010
Shakespeare at San Quentin’s Romeo and Juliet
Intro Romeo and Juliet
2009
Shakespeare at San Quentin’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Intro to Midsummer Night’s Dream
Post-Show Q&A Midsummer Night’s Dream
2008
Shakespeare at San Quentin’s Much Ado About Nothing
Intro to Much Ado About Nothing
Post-Show Q&A Much Ado About Nothing
Dameion Brown, Artist in Residence – Various Talks by Dameion Brown:
Dameion Brown speaks about the value of Shakespeare for Social Justice in prison and the changes the program brought about at Solano Prison when he was incarcerated
Dameion Brown’s 2020 TedX talk (12 minutes)
Dameion’s Story (25 minutes)
Dameion’s Story (5 minutes)
Dameion speaks at the Commonwealth Club, July 15, 2019 (audio, 1 hour)
Dameion speaks at Juliana Carlucci’s home, February 9, 2020 (1 hour)