By Eva Trieger
SAN DIEGO — For several years I have had the extreme honor and pleasure of reviewing plays written by those in our community who have experienced incarceration. Through the craft of writing scripts and seeing their words come to the stage, their healing and rehabilitative journey has been catalyzed.
By harnessing emotions, experiences and challenging situations, writers are empowered to find new and successful ways to return to society and to create a forum for sharing their unique trials, which are most assuredly not alien to members of the community outside of correctional facilities.
This year Playwrights Project has partnered with a handful of groups to bring these visions to the stage, thanks to Trinity Theatre Company. On Sept. 6, actors gave life to these scripts and followed it up with a Q & A. The program was performed live and streamed on Zoom as well.
The name Jewels Returned Writers Circle has a truly beautiful message. The writers’ forum was created for those who have returned to the community following incarceration. “We know that jewels are precious and are formed over many years of intense exposure to pressure and environmental factors. Yet, when we look beyond the rough edges, polish them and craft them, we discover something beautiful and priceless. “ Each of the writers had faced adversity and lived in difficult environments, but now has developed hindsight and new, valuable insights to offer.
This unique and vital program was put in place by the California Arts Council Impact Program and the City of San Diego Cultural Affairs Department. Additional support came from nonprofit Playwrights Project and the Triton Underground Scholars. Both of these programs understand the importance of providing education and venues for conducting a dialogue of open and honest communication. By giving these individuals the tools to express themselves they are prepared to reenter society as constructive and proactive problem solvers.
Saturday’s program consisted of five short plays, each written with a unique theme and original characters. The first, The Rewrite, by Damian Busby, shared two versions of veterans trying to reintegrate themselves into society, but struggling with harsh realities and complicated circumstances. Though the content was certainly sad, the reinterpretation of the “rewrite” left viewers optimistic. The second offering was Peter Crates’ Waiting Without Hope. It revealed the sense of isolation and abandonment experienced by an incarcerated man. Even after he is acquitted he then realizes, “I have nowhere to go….no one to help me out.”
Stray Cat Scared by Steven A. Gonzales relied on personification to convey the story of fear and the rich rewards of companionship and the necessity of having a friend to share the scary moments in life. Silenced Voices by Joaquin Mena took a direct swing at our recent governmental edicts to shut down DEI and “woke” ideas. The script revealed the attempt to brainwash our students and keep them from viewing history through an inclusive lens. “Art can cause confusion and division.” Sound familiar? This play revealed the dangers of negating history to fit a narrative. The final script, Who’s Going to Kiss Me This Time? written by Kwamin Stewart also relied on anthropomorphism to express misunderstanding, uncertainty and struggles with communication.
The professional actors read from scripts and used very few props or scenery to embody the authors’ words and messages. The five actors played a host of roles as needed for each play. They were Nancy Batres, Monique Gaffney, Brandon Kelly, Arturo Medina and Joaquin Mena.
The teaching artists Cecelia Kouma and Damian Busby did an excellent job coaching and providing support and encouragement for the playwrights and the actors in delivering this important program. Kouma has been involved with Playwrights Project since 2000. Her tireless efforts have benefitted San Diego’s youth, seniors, those in transition and a vast swath of audiences in our county. Kouma’s commitment to bringing theatre and a venue for self-expression is her hallmark and legacy.
Jewels Returned Writers Circle may be a one-of-a-kind program but is certainly a beacon of light and demonstrates the possibilities of reproducing this model on a larger scale to impact not only those incarcerated but enrich our greater community with deeper compassion and greater insight.
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Eva Trieger is a freelancer specializing in the coverage of the arts.