Marquel, TPVs NYTimes Method Section correspondent, was doing his daily pushups when he read Inmate Improv. Can a prison theater workshop prepare men for a life of freedom? It was an interesting concept.
Instead of training inmates as cobblers or blacksmiths, or accountants and short order cooks, prisons are teaching drama. Marquel thought this might be good for any Alec Baldwin types, especially if they were riding their bikes the wrong way. But the point didn’t seem to be to create criminal actors but to somehow turn criminals into non criminals by teaching them drama. Huh? Thought Marquel. How would that work.
An ex burglar serving two years learns how to act, using method techniques so that he can even imitate bacon cooking in a pan. He gets out. Where would bacon cooking in a pan be helpful to rehabilitate this house invader. Marquel couldn’t guess. Maybe, in extremis, it might help him scootch through some ventilation ducts and make off with a big haul.
“Why? I don’t know, really. It’s something you really can’t do wrong, so at least you really can’t fail at it.” Said one.
“Dunno. It could really be good for someone in a confidence game. Or even three card Monte. You might clean up if you could really act honest and sincere.” He said.
Another said, “we don’t know why they’re doing it. But it teaches us how to get along better. So if me and my buddy get out and decide to rob someone, I think we could plan together and work together much better. It’s useful!”
“I’ll tell you the Shakespeare shit is just a waste. When are we going to mug someone, saying, ‘Tempt not a desperate man?’ The guy’s likely to walk away” one said.
“it could be useful getting shot. You might get an EMT faster if you said, ‘ If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?’ “
“You might get an EMT, but first stop’s Bellevue. The nut house.”
“This ain’t gonna make us go straight, unless we want to be waiters and say we’re actors. But it’s really good for prison. Next time we get sent up, we’ll have things to do in our cells. We could do readings with each other, scenes, exercises. Some you can do alone. So I’d say it’s a great thing to do in prison, almost as good as drugs but much cheaper.”
Lee Strasberg was a little genius praying on all the insecure hollywood stars
I am a Maisner actor. Lee S was an impostor
who gives a darn about Lee S or Maisner. This is about Marquel and his piece is hillarious
you’re right it is hilarious
finally something cheaper than the drugs, Lee Strasberg’s method and with the same effect – none
love it
strasberg is the best method for jailed actors