Evento

Ascension & Endangered Species - Restorative Performance Series

Rising Voices and Voices on the Rise, programs of Community Works, are restorative justice theater ensembles of formerly incarcerated young men and women. The programs provide spaces for them to reflect on their lives leading up to incarceration, their time spent inside, and the struggles and decisions they face every day on the outside. Community Works encourages ensemble members to value their power as artists and agents of change.

Ascension
Written & Performed by Rising Voices
Directed by Catherine Castellanos & Margo Hall

Ascension is a collaborative performance piece, created in the Campo Santo style of raising questions to explore these young women's truths and realities leading up to their incarceration and their struggles, hopes and dreams post-release. The performance addresses the following questions: How can you rise when you keep getting pushed down? How can your spirit soar when society keeps you locked in a cage? How can you receive justice when you are not considered worthy of it? Rising Voices raises and tackles these tough issues in search of a more peaceful existence while strengthening their family values and now living day-to-day to reinstate and claim their place in their communities.

Endangered Species
Performed by Voices on the Rise
Conceived & Directed by Donald E. Lacy & Sean San Jose

Endangered Species is an exposé into the lives of Black men from the time they are small children to young adults. The performance demonstrates the challenge of staying alive in the inner city where the temperature is so hot that one wrong word, look, or misstep could cost you your life. In a neighborhood where criminal activity is a way of life, these young men must figure out how to stay alive and free. Endangered Species is a collage of song, text and stories based on the personal experiences of Voices on the Rise. The performance, featuring Campo Santo members, including Juan Amador (Wonway Posibul) offers commentary on why the young Black male has become an endangered species in America.