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 Shakespeare Behind Bars
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WHO:
Virginia Film Society
WHAT:
“Shakespeare Behind Bars” With guest speaker Betsy Tucker (U.Va. drama department)
WHEN:
Tuesday, May 9, 7 p.m.
WHERE:
Vinegar Hill Theatre
Admission is $8 to the public and free to Film Society members.
• Virginia Film Festival
Contact:
Jane Ford
(434) 924-4298 jford@virginia.edu
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April 26, 2006 -- The Virginia Film Society is proud to present the award-winning documentary “Shakespeare Behind Bars” as the last film in its 2006 spring series on Tuesday, May 9 at 7 p.m. at Vinegar Hill Theatre, with special guest speaker Betsy Tucker of the U.Va. drama department.
This illuminating and powerful documentary follows the casting, rehearsal and presentation of Shakespeare’s play, “The Tempest,” by convicted felons inside Kentucky’s Luther Luckett Correctional Complex. Led by volunteer director Curt Tofteland, the inmates cast themselves in roles that reflect their personal histories and fates. Rehearsals last a full year, and the men portray both male and female roles – just as was done in Shakespeare’s day. The inmates’ individual stories, including narratives of the often heinous crimes they have committed, are interwoven with the plot of “The Tempest” as they delve deeply into the characters they are portraying while confronting and dealing with their own personal demons.
Tofteland’s innovative work with Luther Luckett inmates began in the mid-1990s. Twice a week, the inmates work with Tofteland, examining different ways to deliver their lines and how subtle gestures can change the meanings of scenes. The men spend the rest of their time rehearsing alone in their cells or with each other in the yard. On a cursory level, their participation in the production is simply learning lines, rehearsing and interacting with one another and with Tofteland. On a deeper level, however, their constant searching within their characters mirrors a continuing search within the men themselves to find meaning in their past
actions and present lives. The film does not glorify or excuse the actions of these criminals, but rather gives a humane look at them,
as the viewer watches the human psyche unfold in all of its complexities while these ostracized men reveal their capacities for kindness, generosity and faith.
“A remarkable, moving experience. Surprising and satisfying. The film poses tough questions about the nature of forgiveness [with] a generosity of spirit,” said James Greenberg of the Hollywood Reporter.
“Shakespeare Behind Bars” was screened at the Sundance Film Festival and is the winner of eight film festival awards, including a Special Jury Prize at the Independent Film Festival of Boston and the Director’s Choice Award at the Bluegrass Film Festival.
All Virginia Film Society events are co-sponsored by the Virginia Film Festival and the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, with the support of the Omni Hotel Charlottesville. For more information, visit.
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