The Comenian

Issue date: 10/23/08 Section: Arts & Culture

On Wednesday, Oct. 8, not an empty seat could be found in Prosser Auditorium as students made themselves comfortable on the floor of the aisles for the film "Shakespeare Behind Bars."

In Hank Rogerson and Jilann Spitzmiller's insightful look into this prison production, the viewer is invited to embark on a year-long journey with the "Shakespeare Behind Bars" theatre troupe.

The troupe was led by Shakespearean volunteer director Curt Tofteland, whose innovative work with Luther Luckett's inmates began in the mid-1990s, as the prisoners cast themselves in roles reflecting their personal history and fate.

The inmates' individual stories, including information about their heinous crimes, are interwoven within the plot of "The Tempest" as they delve deeply into the characters they portray while confronting their personal demons.

Assistant political science professor, Khristina Haddad, said she first became familiar with the film three years ago during a conference one weekend in Philadelphia.

"I was struck by the interdisciplinary implications of the film and saw something in it for everyone because it is a story about teaching and personal growth," Haddad said.

She went on to say that from the moment she saw the film she was compelled to bring Tofteland to campus.

"That very weekend I approached him [Tofteland] about speaking at Moravian and he said he would be more than happy to. It means a lot to me to be able to share Curt's work with our community. His visit to Moravian took a fair amount of preparation, but the turn out at the film screening and the quality of the discussion afterward made it all worthwhile," Haddad said.

After the film students were invited to participate in a discussion with Tofteland in the UBC room, which, much like the auditorium, had standing room only as students packed inside so they could get their questions answered.

What the students weren't necessarily expecting was that Tofteland had his own question to ask of everyone. He was curious about how the film made everyone feel.
Many students answered his question and the responses ranged from confused to overwhelmed.

What most students could agree on was that after watching the film and talking to Tofteland they were left with more questions than answers.

In response to the audience's confusion Tofteland said, "Good. The film is meant to create more questions than answers - to challenge your moral beliefs."

Continued...

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