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-to instill a love for the arts and a respect for learning—especially in those at high risk of not completing their education;
-to develop literacy skills (reading, writing, and oral communication) in participants whether classified as learning disabled or not;
-to develop skills in decision making, problem solving, and creative thinking;
-to encourage participants to relate the universal human themes contained in Shakespeare to contemporary society, its problems, and their own lives;
-to develop self esteem;
-to teach tolerance and peaceful resolution of conflict;
-to enable participants to become responsible members of a family, group, or community;
-to instill a sense of responsibility and desire to help others.13
The official rehearsals meet once a week, but the cast members, like most professional actors, do the lion’s share of the work on their own: running lines while folding laundry or doing their daily jobs. The formal rehearsal process includes warm-ups and introductory games, as well as in-depth work on the speeches and scenes. The cast gathers together and, in a forum of free discussion, Tofteland and all the cast members together help each other discover the subtext to the lines, the characters’ motivations and objectives, and how the speech or scene fits in with the play’s larger themes. From here, when the occasion permits, the particular participant also considers— and is encouraged to talk about— how it relates to his own life experiences, and how he can use these discoveries as a springboard to mending his future behavior.
Shakespeare Behind Bars ultimately works as a hybrid between conventional theatrical production and drama therapy and is more or less equal parts both. The participants are encouraged— indeed, are effectively expected— to plug the character-creation work into their own lives, to delve deep into their own psyches, to learn from the dramatic circumstances and Renaissance characters life lessons to help them through their own personal growth.