Feeling Beautiful All Over

The performers of Sisters Rising are formerly incarcerated Chicago-area women who meet weekly in facilitated workshops focused on developing performance and writing skills.

Still Point employs the artists of Sisters Rising to write, rehearse and perform original theatre performances based on their lived experiences and their aspirations for their new lives. Still Point facilitators lead participants through public speaking, writing and acting exercises.

Their writing — poetry, character-driven scenes, and monologues based on issues related to their incarceration — is edited into a script, then blocked, memorized, and rehearsed.

Sisters Rising is now in its fifth year of inspiring and successful performances in the Chicago area, performing in schools, churches and women’s shelters. This year, Sisters Rising will continue these performances, as well as add two new high-profile original productions.

Still Point seeks lasting change in the lives of individual women, and in society’s attitudes toward the incarcerated. The programs of Sisters Rising can challenge stereotypes of incarcerated people, and help formally incarcerated women gain self-confidence and better communication skills, and learn to be more productive members of society.

Sisters Rising serves as a valuable societal entry point for formerly incarcerated women because, in many cases, it provides these women with their first paychecks, while teaching valuable knowledge and skills for long-term employment.

Don't miss these performances!

Madison Street Theatre
1010 Madison Street
Oak Park, IL 60302

Dates: Friday, March 9 at 7:30, and
Saturday, March 10 at 4:00pm and 7:30pm.

There is a suggested a $10.00 donation at the door.

Reservations: RSVP info@stillpointtheatrecollective.org (first come, first seated)

Uncensored Intimacy

This is an excerpt from my journal. Something written immediately after class, uncensored. I find I edit too much if I just try to sit down at the computer and try to blog. Sometimes honesty trumps good writing and grammar.

It's from December:

Most amazing Imagination Workshop today. So much chaos and emotion to experience- or witness, actually. Esperanza is a family, a home away from home. So much intimacy. Tony did a mediation on ghosts and spirits today. After, Steve asked us if we'd ever seen any ghosts and Tony spoke of the Fairyman across the street- a mortician with a top hat- and when Tony saw him, the Fairyman said, "Don't worry, this coffin isn't for you, it's just for luggage."

Steve asked Jose if he'd even seen a ghost. Jose described touching this father's cold hands at his funeral. He broke down. We hugged for a long time. Layla came in 57 minutes late today, saw Jose and I embracing and immediately ran to him. She bent down in front of him and they spoke in whispers, bits of Spanglish further garbled by Down's Syndrome. She kissed his face, she hugged him. She touched her forehead softly to his. He brushed her hair out of her eyes and grazed her cheek with his stubby fingers. She made him smile. Like lovers.

I sat no further than 6 inches away, in awe. How gracious of them to let me watch this.

I wouldn't go so far to say that the Imagination Workshop taught me how to love- I would say that it taught me how to embrace and accept it fully and give it without hesitation. Love each other. Care about each other. Do it without questioning and it will heal you. We can't save everyone but we can let them know how much we want to.

The love here is physical, and immediate. It heals me every week.

And yet it's not entirely unconditional. We're all human, anyway.

tory.