Prison Performing Arts

PPA Newsletter

Prison Performing Arts is a 21-year-old, multi-discipline, literacy and performing arts program that serves incarcerated adults and children at St. Louis City Juvenile Detention Center, Hogan Street Regional Youth Center, Northeastern Correctional Center (NECC) in Bowling Green, MO and Women's Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center (WERDCC) in Vandalia, MO.

Prison Performing Arts involves incarcerated youth and adults in the performing arts to inspire intellectual curiosity and personal development. We nurture the discipline, teamwork and communication skills necessary for successful re-entry into society. We encourage members of the larger community to connect personally with program participants, and we offer continuing programs for participants who have been released.

Upcoming Public Performances

Thursday, June 14th
6pm (5:20pm check-in)

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
by Ken Kesey
adapted by Dale Wasserman

Starring the Men of
The Theatre Project
Northeast Correctional Center
Bowling Green, MO

**RSVP DEADLINE THIS TUESDAY, MAY 29th**
Call 314-289-4190 or email shelby@prisonartsstl.org to RSVP.
Ask about carpooling!

Thursday, July 19th
1:15pm (12:45pm check-in) OR
6:15pm (5:45pm check-in)

Metamorphoses
Based on the Myths of Ovid
Written and originally directed
by Mary Zimmerman

Starring
The Vandalia Women's Theatre
Women's Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and
Correctional Center
Vandalia, MO

**RSVP DEADLINE MONDAY, JULY 2nd**
Call 314-289-4190 or email shelby@prisonartsstl.org to RSVP.
Ask about carpooling!

In the News
Staging Reflections of the Buddha on stltoday.com
Ex-cons, homeless vets aim at enlightenment through Buddhist art in St. Louis

HIP HOP Poetry Project w/ Jessica Care Moore
Our Revolution Will Not Be Televised - Play the audio below

Staging Reflections of the Buddha SOLD OUT
Free Performances February 23rd - March 10th
Click Here for More Information and Reservations

Staging Reflections of the Buddha is presented in collaboration with PPA, St. Patrick Center, Employment Connection and the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts. Staging Reflections of the Buddha is a series of 13 live theatrical performances for three weekends in February and March. Former prisoners and veterans, who have been trained in theatre arts will guide the audience through the galleries, moving among the artworks in the Pulitzer’s current exhibition, Reflections of the Buddha. Five months of intense training and study led by Prison Performing Arts artistic director Agnes Wilcox culminates in these performances, which come to life with the actors’ personal experiences. Click Here to make your reservation.

The Photography Project

In Fall 2007, Mel Watkin of The Photography Project at the Public Policy Research Center at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, in partnership with Prison Performing Arts, taught photography to a group of incarcerated juveniles. These photographers documented Prison Performing Arts classes at Detention--Capoeira, Acting, West African drumming and Afro-Caribbean dance-- and photographed scenes of life in Detention. Now the entire 8 year collection of the Photography Project has gone live. Click here to explore...

Read about our production of A Midsummer Night's Dream
in Performing New Lives
edited by Jonathan Shailor
published in England
by Jessica Kingsley Publishing
Click here for more information
For a video about this book click here

Donating to Prison Performing Arts just got Easier!
You can now support Prison Performing Arts several different ways. You can set up an automatic recurring monthly gift, or pay directly online. Click here for more information.