Plays and Prisons
Earlier this year, I started working with a wonderful writer, Elizabeth Hawes, on a play for prison abolition. It has been an exceptionally enlightening process, especially because Elizabeth is herself in prison in Minnesota. Elizabeth is extremely accomplished, having won prestigious awards and support through PEN America and the Writing Freedom Fellowship, to name just a few.
Elizabeth’s play, SUPERNOVA, is a fierce critique of our carceral systems and especially their impact on women, mothers, and families. I can’t say anything better than Elizabeth can herself, and I’m happy to share her words here. She was recently commissioned by the Mellon Foundation to write an essay about trying to realize a play while in prison:
“In 2017, when I started the endeavor of writing SuperNova, I lived in a unit of 60. So, I interviewed 59 people.
“I always thanked the women I interviewed for their stories. The response was always something to the effect of, ‘If this helps even one person, I am happy to do this.’ I think they want to be heard.”