Theatre Workshop's Award Winning Original Production

Wake Up, Jack!

Chatting with Todd Rundgren

Hey I'm not one of those pathetic autograph seekers ...





I'm just the pathetic guy giving Todd my business card and pitching my idea for a musical based on Utopia's
Singring & the Glass Guitar.

Jamming
at Anmol Indian Restaurant in Beverly with Sam & Joe.

Shakespeare Lives?

The Shakespeare Project at Racine Correctional Facility in Wisconsin under the Direction of Jonathan Shailor has a turbulent history in terms of administrative support.

As a witness to their work while shooting documentary footage for them over the past 4 years I have been both impressed and inspired by the men's dedication, artistry and personal growth.

The short sightedness of the current warden brings this chapter of Dr. Shailor's work to a close but the Phoenix WILL rise.

An excerpt from Jonathan's latest e-mail:

Over the weeks since my appeal to Warden Humphreys was denied, I've been busy communicating with upper level administrators in the Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC).

I'm happy to report that there has been progress. Both Donald Hands (Director of Psychology for the DOC) and Margaret Carpenter (DOC Director of Education) understand the value of what we have been doing at RCI over the past 4 years, and they support continuation of The Shakespeare Project at a new location: Racine Youthful Offender Correctional Facility (RYOCF) (incarcerating young men 12-25). (I've run Theatre of Empowerment classes there in the past, so I'm somewhat familiar with the facility.) I will be meeting with Hands, Carpenter and RYOCF Warden Floyd Mitchell some time within the next month to discuss how The Shakespeare Project might work in their institution.

This is good news, obviously--and it gives me a chance to think about ways in which the project might be more securely situated in a correctional facility--by getting warden buy-in from the beginning, in part by involving the warden in the review and revision of program goals, process and outcomes.

It's hard to say at the moment precisely what form a new project might take, and how many of us may want to/be able to remain involved. I'll keep you posted on how things develop and trust that you will then let me know what about your interests/availability as things move forward.

At this point, I think it's most likely that The Shakespeare Project at RYOCF will take off in summer or fall 2009.

In the meantime, don't forget to check out the Sept/Oct issue of Wisconsin Trails (on news stands next week). There's a feature article on our production of "Julius Caesar" (I'll be sending copies to the east coast folks.)

Thank you for helping us to make history at Racine Correctional Facility over the past 4 years... now, it's onward and upward in our new venue!

peace/love/spirit

Jonathan

H. Williams
as
Brutus

in Julius Caesar
Muddy Flowers Theatre Troupe

Racine Correctional Institution / 2oo8

Production Photo
from
Red Danube
B&T's entry for the 48hr Film Challenge/Portland, ME.

(Shailor, Jake the Kid, Anthony and Biser)
In the bowels of a warehouse.

Our assigned genre was "Historical Fiction" Originally to be a Woodstock thang our script instead imagined what would have happened if small nuclear weapons had been part of the equation during the Prague Spring in 1968.

Although we knew that this was the approximate time of the event we had no idea that the film would premiere on the 40th anniversary.

As always with 48hr films it was exhausting, invigorating, maddening inspiring, frustrating and enlightening.

The film will be posted on baitandtackle.biz/48

Is it possible?

I'm not sure why I thought I'd be able to keep a blog going ... it seemed like a good idea that first day. If you do happen to stop by then here's my little gift to you:
Visit: www.baitandtackle.biz/WHM

and see our latest work at B & T
Please comment.

2 of the Shailor Brothers ...but who is guy in the middle?
(Hint: He played in a pretty good band at one time)
(No fair answering if you already know!)