The brainchild of Pati Hernandez, a Vermont actor, dancer and puppeteer, the project developed out of a similar program Hernandez created for incarcerated men at the Newport Correctional in Newport, Vt., called "Telling My Story."
"The program is called 'Telling My Story' because it does just that," Sloane, the program's student coordinator, said. "It gives a voice to women who are forgotten, creates a zone where people can discuss their experiences, whether they are inmates or 'people from the outside.'"
Each day is structured like a drama class, with Hernandez facilitating. All participants gather in a circle and discuss a theme they want to work with on that particular day. The sparked discussion is crafted into a storyline, and then everyone gets up and improvises. The women then commit the scenes to paper, with some requisite manipulations. The finished production, which will be performed in the prison's multi-purpose room, is thus a conglomeration of the term's work -- a performance that has developed organically from mutual emotion and experience.
"It's really an effective way of allowing expression without the pressure of judgment," Sloane explained of the theatrical format, "It allows for a break -- an escape into a fantasy world for just a few hours a week. And having a finished product is entirely confidence-building for everyone."
The "finished product" this term will consist of an African dance, the play and personal testimonies from all participants, which Sloane describes as "the heart and soul of the project." The play itself deals directly with "the labels that people are dealt and how they affect them in social situations. It parallels the lives of a shy and a confident girl and is largely based on real-life occurrences," Sloane explained.
As for the African dancing? Dartmouth participants haven't been involved in the past, but this year, everyone's in. "I was certain -- absolutely certain -- that I wasn't going to join the African Dance portion of our presentation," Moddelmog said. " This all changed as I was sitting there earlier today, watching the women practicing and enjoying themselves. They were having fun, I like having fun -- why not? I jumped out of my friggin' comfort zone and into the dance. I was terrible, I had fun. I'm just flapping my arms and kicking my feet, desperately hoping that I'm not ruining something beautiful."
Moddelmog, the only man in a room full of women, found himself in a particularly unique position -- at least initially.
"The first thing anyone said to me when I walked into the community center three weeks ago is, 'You're the first man I haven't seen in uniform in a long time.' I was identified as a man then and expected to be so identified throughout the project," he said. "I can honestly say that this is not the case. As I've gotten to know the women -- the people, rather -- better, I feel I've come to be regarded as a person, and nothing but a person. Maybe this isn't the case. Maybe I'm deluding myself. But I will say with absolute certainty that when I walk in there, I don't feel conspicuously 'man.'"Similarly, no one seems to feel a conspicuous distinction between the roles of the inmates and those of the students. The nature of the experience is such that both the women and volunteers are sharing personal, vulnerable pasts and emotions on a regular basis.
"The women have really been a support system for me," Sloane said, "Especially in the fall as I was adjusting to a new environment, they provided a steady source of comfort and friendship. Their honesty is startling, as well as their kindness."
As the program continues to develop and grow, it has begun to provide additional, practical benefits for Dartmouth and Southeast participants alike. Through the drama workshop, the inmates are now able to receive writing credit toward their GED and Dartmouth volunteers can be given course credit for an independent study. Next fall Hernandez and English professor Ivy Schweitzer will team-teach a course under the College Courses umbrella, "Inside Out," that will meet both on campus and in the prison.
But as for this term, according to Moddelmog, "What happens in prison stays in prison ... umm, scratch that: please come see our play and our dance."
Tickets to 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. performances on Friday and Saturday, May 4 and 5 can be obtained from Daniella Sloane.
