British Universities Film & Video Council

moving image and sound, knowledge and access

Shakespeare Behind Bars

Synopsis
Documentary. Twenty male inmates of the Luther Luckett Correctional Complex in La Grange, Kentucky form an acting troupe and perform The Tempest. The film follows the inmates through a 40-week rehearsal period and stresses the analogies between the play and the prisoners - one man remarks ‘Caliban is such a savage...I feel like I have to regress to play him’. But the play’s themes of forgiveness and redemption are also brought to the fore as the play helps them understand themselves and the nature of their crimes. The film shows the inmates discussing casting and arguing about points of plot and performance; it also demonstrates how the prisoners interact physically with one another in rehearsal.
Language
English
Country
Great Britain; United States
Medium
Television; Video
Technical information
Colour / Sound
Year of release
2005
Notes
Shot on HDV. The DVD extras include prisoner commentaries, filmmaker commentary, deleted scenes, and performance footage. The DVD is available Region 1 only (10/2007).
Subjects
Drama; Shakespeare
Keywords
prisoners; prisons; Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); All-male casts; Rehearsals; Untrained actors
Related items
Arts Centric Midday Matters [02/12/2011]

Credits

Director
Hank Rogerson; Jilann Spitzmiller
Cinematographer
Shana Hagan
Writer
Hank Rogerson; Jilann Spitzmiller
Music
James Wesley Stemple

Distribution Formats

Type
DVD
Format
Region 1 NTSC
Price
$20.00
Availability
Sale
Duration/Size
93 minutes
Year
2009

Production Company

Name

BBC

Notes
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
Name

Philomath Films

Archive

Name

BFI National Archive

Web
http://www.bfi.org.uk/archive-collections/searching-access-collections/research-viewing-services External site opens in new window
Phone
020 7255 1444
Fax
020 7436 0165
Address
21 Stephen Street
London
W1T 1LN

Online Retailer

Name

amazon.co.uk

Web
http://www.amazon.co.uk External site opens in new window
View this record on the Shakespeare site for additional details

Record Stats

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