Linda Green
Linda is a professor of sociocultural anthropology at the University of Arizona. Since 2018 she has taught anthropology as a volunteer to incarcerated men in Tucson.
About the projectTHE PRODUCTION
“Our humanity.”
The men’s insights into the everyday realities of incarceration are brought to life through public theatre.
Watch the productionThe work on stage
Inside Out: Men Behind Bars.
An important component of the project is the use of dramatic theatre performance as a platform from which to communicate to a larger public the lived experiences and legacies of mass incarceration.
Partnering with the Invisible Theatre, the men’s insights into the everyday realities of incarceration are brought to life through public theatre. Watch the recording of the production.
Watch on YouTube
INSIDE OUT / FULL PRODUCTION ↗Created by the incarcerated men of FCI Tucson
Adapted and directed by Betsy Kruse Craig
Research and co-production Linda Green
Full production credits ↗Inside the production
Moments from the stage.
Photography by Kathleen Dreier.
Audience comments
What surprised the audience?
Of 350 attendees, 75 responded to the question, “What was the most surprising thing you learned from the men’s stories in the play?” Selected responses appear below.
“I didn’t realize how much the inmates were locked down”
“The torture of long lockdowns”
“the telephone as a lifeline”
“the public anxiety-producing nature of the phone calls was something I had not considered”
“how important it is to tune into each other’s moods and vibes, their humanity”
“to hear how much anthropology meant to them; How helpful it was for understanding their situation”
Read the audience comments
Lockdown
- I didn’t realize how much the inmates were locked down
- how long lock downs last. I had no idea and without phone calls or leaving the cell
- The torture of long lockdowns
- lockdowns…horrific
- six week lockdown…
- I did not know that inmates get locked down for weeks/months at a time
- insidious
Telephone
- the phones will only work with voice recognition
- voice recognition
- the telephone as a lifeline
- to see how hard it is to communicate with loved ones…
- the public anxiety-producing nature of the phone calls was something I had not considered
- how truly important phone are
- voice recognition
Other Observations
- that the actors were not real prisoners
- how important it is to tune into each other’s moods and vibes, their humanity
- An extremely powerful play
- What I learned is how everything works. Seeing how people in prison are treated and now I understand it.
- the importance of letting prisoners know that they have value as people…
- that they trusted the instructor enough to open up about their in prison experiences and to then write about it
- the desire for education and its benefits
- the impact of education of the rates of recidivism
- to hear how much anthropology meant to them; How helpful it was for understanding their situation
- the idea of isolation even when surrounded by so many people and how social isolation impacts everyone
- the necessity for higher education in the prison system
- how dehumanization is used as a matter of control
- How hard it is not being able to connect with family
- the measurable impact of higher, not -occupational, education has on recidivism and trauma reduction
- the importance of education
- The idea of having the possibility of not hearing loved ones through the phone.
- the guilt and shame they feel and the abuse they go through
- as a brother of an inmate for many years now. nothing really surprised me anymore; The play was spot on and we thank you for everything you are doing for these inmates
- the deep level of dehumanization within the prison system
- I could viscerally feel their experiences such as going to the bathroom with your cellmate present; the heartache of being disconnected from an intimate phone call.
- the car system
- the system sets people up to fail
- How difficult it it to have a chance of a good life afterward
- how dehumanizing incarceration is
The cast
The performers.
An Arizonan who is rekindling a passion for theatre with several troupes in Southern Arizona.
“Theatre offers the opportunity to tell stories, and telling these stories was a rare view into a hidden world. One in which I am intimately familiar as I have worked in a federal prison”
A filmmaker, director and producer who lives in southern Arizona. His work in live theatre, feature film production and the performing arts gives meaning to social issues through art.
“In this production my character embodied voices of several of the men who wrote the play. In enacting their words, we reminded people on the outside that they are human beings despite being incarcerated”.
A Tucson-based actor, director, singer and arts educator whose work spans theatre, youth programming and community engaged storytelling.
“It was an honor to help give voice to incarcerated individuals who often feel alone, lost or forgotten, and whose stories deserve to be heard. Performing inside the prison while the inmates who wrote the material watched their words come to life was surreal and deeply moving. I hope our performance reminded them that their voices matter, their stories have value and even in the darkest places this is still room for hope”.
A Tucson-based artist who received his BA degree from the University of Arizona. He remains committed to honing his skills in the world of live theatre, screen acting and emceeing wherever the opportunity takes him.
“Ramping up for Inside/Out, I knew it was going to be a watershed moment for me and all involved in terms of our acting careers. When all was said and done, especially after performing inside the prisons, I was so thrilled to realize that it was more than just a great opportunity in theatre, but a way to touch with human beings who I would have never been in the same space with had it not been for this piece. I am super grateful for and will never forget Inside/Out for as long as I live.”
How it came together
Student writing, theatre and music.
The Invisible Theatre
The men’s insights into the everyday realities of incarceration were brought to life through public theatre in partnership with Tucson’s Invisible Theatre.
Production detailsPrison Music Project
The production features excerpts from Long Time Gone by the Prison Music Project, released by Righteous Babe Records.
Read the song creditsThe collaborators
The Invisible Theatre.
Betsy Kruse Craig
An actor, director and educator, Betsy is Artistic Managing Director of The Invisible Theatre. Her work emphasizes collaboration and the transformative power of the arts for individuals and communities.
“Live theatre ignites conversation in a tangible way.”
The Invisible Theatre
An intimate 80-seat performing arts venue in Tucson, celebrating 55 years of operation. It produces local premieres, Off-Broadway plays, comedies, classics and community-collaborative works.
Visit the theaterInside Out
The music / complete credits
Songs from Long Time Gone.
Excerpts from these 14 songs appear in the production.
Long Time Gone is the 2020 album by the Prison Music Project, released by Righteous Babe Records. The project grew from collaborations between Zoe Boekbinder and writers and musicians incarcerated at New Folsom Prison. The album was produced by Ani DiFranco.
Explore the original album- MonsterGreg Gadlin and Zoe Boekbinder
- SurvivalistAlex Batriz (Baby Shell Dogg) and Zoe Boekbinder
- Broken VesselJacob “Drifter” John Allen and Zoe Boekbinder
- All Over AgainKen Blackburn
- Coffin SongKen Blackburn
- I Can’t BreatheSincere and Baby Shell Dog
- Ain’t Trippin’Samual Brown (LSDrugs)
- Window TheaterSpoon Jackson
- Midnight DealJacob John Allen and Zoe Boekbinder
- Part of a FamilyGreg Gadlin
- Nowhere but Barstow and PrisonSpoon Jackson and Ani DiFranco
- Long Time GoneKen Blackburn and Zoe Boekbinder
- Just Another Link in the ChainKen Blackburn
- VillainNathen Jackson and Zoe Boekbinder