CAST
CAST OF
CAST OF CHARACTERS. >> ENJOY THE SHOW.
>> IF A PERSON IS ONLY THE
WORST THING THEY EVER DID, THEN
REDEMPTION IS FICTION, IN THE
STORY OF SCROOGE, JUST A STORY
PLAYED OUT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
DENVER.
DENVER.
DENVER. BUT A CHRISTMAS CAROL COMES TO
LIGHT WITH THE HELP OF INMATE
146419.
146419.
146419. >> I DO GET THE BUTTERFLIES.
NELSON, HAS A CHANCE TO CHANGE.
>> WHEN I'M PERFORMING IT'S MY
TIME TO GET AWAY FROM BEING A
MEMBER.
MEMBER.
MEMBER. >> I HAVEN'T FOUND ANYONE WHO'S
TAKING A SHOW FROM THE PRISON
AND BRINGING IT TO THE PUBLIC.
I WILL SAY THAT.
>> COLORADO'S DEPARTMENT OF
CORRECTIONS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
ALLOWED INMATES TO LEAVE THE
DENVER WOMEN'S CORRECTIONAL
FACILITY TO PERFORM A PLAY.
>> WE ARE CHANGING THE PRISON
SYSTEM ONE THEATER SHOW AT A
TIME.
TIME.
TIME. >>
TIME. >> DEAN WILLIAMS JOKES, BUT THE
MESSAGE OF MAKING A DIFFERENCE
THROUGH THEATER ISRAEL.
>> AND WE HAVE MADE PRISONS A
VERY STARK AND IDLE, DEVOID OF
PURPOSE, DEVOID OF LIFE, DEVOID
OF HOPE, AND PEOPLE WHO LIVE
THERE, GET WORSE, NOT BETTER.
AND THERE'S NOTHING GOOD FOR US
AS A STATE, TO HAVE PEOPLE
BEHIND THE WALLS GET WORSE.
>> MONTHS BEFORE THE
PERFORMANCE ON THE OUTSIDE, A
SHIFT INSIDE BEGINS.
>> AND WE ARE TO HAVE THE
MERRIEST CHRISTMAS AND ALL THE
WORLD.
WORLD.
WORLD. >>
WORLD. >> THERE IS NO HIERARCHY IN
CRIME, THERE'S NO PETTY, CATTY
STUFF HERE, WE ARE HERE
UNFOCUSED AND CREATING
COMMUNITY.
COMMUNITY. >> ONE MORE TIME!
YES!
YES!
YES! >>
YES! >> FOR TWO HOURS A WEEK AT
REHEARSAL, SHE FEELS HOPE, HOPE
THAT SHE CAN GIVE SOMETHING
BACK AFTER TAKING SO MUCH.>> A
LIFE, I WAS IN A DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE SITUATION AND I TOOK
MY VICTIMS LIFE OUT OF SELF-
DEFENSE AND HIS FAMILY, EVERY
DAY, I THINK OF THEM EVERY DAY.
I THINK OF HIM, I KNOW IT'S
HARD FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND
THAT OR HEAR THAT, BUT THAT IS
WHAT I HAVE TAKEN FROM
SOCIETY.>> SHE WAS 23 YEARS OLD,
SHE TOLD THE DENVER POLICE
OFFICER THAT DURING AN ARGUMENT
WITH HER BOYFRIEND, SHE USED A
KITCHEN KNIFE TO STAB HIM IN
THE CHEST, A JURY FOUND HER
GUILTY OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER.
SHE WAS SENTENCED TO LIFE
WITHOUT PAROLE.>> CAN WE MAKE A
STANDING CIRCLE, PLEASE?
>> THERE'S STILL NO ESCAPE FROM
REMINDERS OF WHAT THEY HAVE DONE
-- >> JARED AND ZOLA HAVE HELD
THEIR BREATH FOR 12 YEARS.
>> I SAID TO GOD, HOW CAN THIS
POSSIBLY BE.
POSSIBLY BE. >> THERE'S NO EASY WAY FOR
PARENTS TO COMPREHEND THEIR
CHILD KILLING SOMEONE.
>> THIS WHOLE SITUATION HAS
BEEN BITTERSWEET, YOU KNOW GOOD
BECAUSE I KNOW THE FAMILY LOST
A SON.
A SON.
A SON. YOU KNOW, SO I HAVE A HARD FOR
THEM, TOO.
THEM, TOO. I REALLY DO.
>> ON BEHALF OF MS. NELSON WHO
IS PRESENT AND IN CUSTODY.
>> THE PRIDE OF THEIR DAUGHTER
CAN EXIST NEXT TO THE PAIN.
>> SO THEY PREVENT, AND NEVER
MISSED A COURT DATE.
THIS STATE IS DIFFERENT.
>> THE PARTIES HAVE REACHED A
PLEA AGREEMENT, I THINK THE
PROSECUTION AGREED SHE'S NOT
SOMEBODY WHO SHOULD BE SERVING
LIFE IN PRISON.
>> HER ATTORNEY ARGUED SHE'S A
VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
>> I THINK MS. NELSON IS A
SPECIAL CASE, I THINK THE
PROSECUTION RECOGNIZED THIS IS
A DIFFERENT KIND OF CASE THAN
WHAT THEY NORMALLY SEE.
>> IF THE JUDGE AGREES TO THE
PLEA, ON JANUARY 27, HERCULES
AND CONVICTION WILL BE VACATED
AND SHALL BE GUILTY OF SECOND
DEGREE MURDER.
DEGREE MURDER. SHE COULD GET OUT OF PRISON AND
LESS THAN A DECADE.
>> WELCOME TO THE SHOW.
A LIFE SENTENCE CHANGED BY
LAWYERS, A LIFE CHANGED BY A
PLAY.
PLAY.
PLAY. THEY PERFORMED THE SHOW, 11
TIMES.
TIMES.
TIMES. >>
TIMES. >> TO LIVE DOESN'T MEAN YOU
ARE ALIVE, DOING THIS, I FEEL
ALIVE.
ALIVE.
ALIVE. >>
ALIVE. >> WITH A SMALL CAST AND CREW,
JAMILIA TAKES ON MANY
DIFFERENT ROLES.
DIFFERENT ROLES. THIS PERFORMANCE IS IN THE
PRISON, FOR THEIR FAMILIES.
>> UNCLE SCROOGE!
HI
HI MAMA!
HI MAMA! >> THAT WAS A STELLAR
PERFORMANCE!
PERFORMANCE! >> THE PART WHERE YOU SAID, I
CAN CHANGE, I CAN CHANGE!
I SAID OH GOD, I'VE GOT MAKEUP,
I CAN'T.
I CAN'T.
I CAN'T. >> IN EVERY SHOW, SCROOGE WILL
BECOME A BETTER MAN.
>> I AM NOT THE MAN THAT I WAS!
>> BUT THESE WOMEN ARE CHOOSING
TO CHANGE.
TO CHANGE. >> I FELT THE CHANGE WELLING UP
IN ME, THAT ANYBODY CAN CHANGE,
SO I HOPE THEY TAKE AWAY FROM
THIS, THAT THESE WOMEN CAN
CHANGE.
CHANGE.
CHANGE. >> WE TALK ABOUT IT OFFSTAGE
ALL THE TIME, HOW WE HAVE TAKEN
FROM SOCIETY, WE HAVE GIVEN OUR
ALL FOR THIS.
AFTER THOSE COUPLE OF SHOWS I
WAS LIKE OKAY, WE'VE GOT THIS.
TO GIVE SOMETHING BACK TO THE
MEAN SO MUCH.
>> THIS STORY OF REDEMPTION
TRANSCENDS THE STAGE.
>> AND BECOMES THEIR