The event was organized to coincide with the biennial meeting of the Texas legislature, at which a subcommittee was scheduled to consider a proposal by Rep. Jessica Farrar to abolish the death penalty (House Bill 682).
John Sullivan from the Houston chapter of Amnesty International organized the project. Kelly Howe, a Ph.D. candidate at UT, and Kathleen Juhl, a professor of theatre arts at Southwestern University were the theatre practitioners. Workshops for volunteer participants were held at UT on February 8 and March 7-8, with the performance held on Sunday evening, March 8 at the Off Center.
Delia Perez-Mayer, whose brother Louis Castro-Perez is on death row in Texas, attended as a resource for participants.
Sullivan has written a lengthy account of the initiative, the methodology, and the performance, published last month on the Community Arts Network. It is also available, in a more readable format, at the Texas Death Penalty blog.
Eye and Tooth Project posted by Texas Moratorium Network (opposing capital punishment in Texas) Friday, February 06, 2009
The Eye & Tooth Project! How can citizens lobby more effectively for abolition of the death penalty in Texas?
People who attend this project could put what they learn into action on Lobby Day Against the Death Penalty on March 24.
The Eye & Tooth Project!
With support from Amnesty International--Houston / Local Group #23
And performance space offered by Rude Mechs and The Off Center
How can citizens lobby more effectively for abolition of the death penalty in Texas?
How can we hone our ability to dialogue with multiple audiences on the injustice of capital punishment, particularly when others disagree with us?
The Eye & Tooth Project is a Forum Theatre project that invites participants to explore the questions above—and other questions that arise in the process of working toward abolition. We’ll also discuss how we can help build momentum for bills related to the death penalty introduced in the 2009 session of the Texas Legislature.
What is Forum Theatre? Forum Theatre is an interactive theatre form devised by Brazilian artist/activist Augusto Boal for people of all levels of theatre experience (or no theatre experience whatsoever). Facilitators set up a process through which workshop participants create a short play. At the end of the workshop process, participants perform that play for spectators. Audience members are invited to call out “Stop!” at any moment and to step into the action to devise new approaches to the issues at the heart of the play. Audience interventions serve as springboards for dynamic discussion.
We welcome participants with a variety of relationships to this issue, from victims’ families to families of incarcerated persons or individuals on Death Row to lobbying groups and other interested citizens. In short, if you want to be there, we want you there!
Eye & Tooth-Austin has two phases:
Phase 1) An introductory/organizing workshop
Sunday, February 8th, 2009, from 1-5pm in Room 1.148 in the Winship Drama Building (at the NW corner of 23rd and San Jacinto at the University of Texas at Austin). We’ll introduce some basics of Forum Theatre and discuss directions for the play we’ll work together to create during the March 6-8 workshop.
Phase 2) Weekend workshop and Forum Theatre performance, March 7 & 8.
Workshop Times: Saturday, March 7, 2009 from 10 am to 7:00 pm (with lunch break) Sunday, March 8, 2009, from 12 noon to 6 pm (with snack break--we'll provide snacks!) Workshop Location: Room 2.180, Winship Drama Building(on the NW corner of 23rd and San Jacinto at the University of Texas at Austin)
Public Forum Theatre showing and discussion: Sunday, March 8 at 7:30 pm Location: The Off Center @ 2211-A Hidalgo(Home of the Rude Mechs)
Email kellybhowe@yahoo.com to sign up for the workshop, so we can send any additional information as the workshop draws closer. Or if you can't do the workshop, just come join us for the public performance!
Facilitators: Kathleen Juhl (Southwestern University), Kelly Howe (UT-Austin), and John Sullivan (UT-Medical Branch).
Necessary skills or experience: None. All you need to bring is your willingness to discuss why you’re invested in the issue of capital punishment. The facilitators will bring the rest.
Questions? Contact Kelly Howe at kellybhowe@yahoo.com or 502.558.9745 or Kathleen Juhl at juhlk@southwestern.edu.
