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Lincoln Theatre, Washington

2006

Words, Beats & Life

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I don't think the play has been published but you could try abebooks.com
or the playwright direct where their email is shown at the top of the page

Play

One Act

3

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This explosive play uses the passion of poetry to portray real life American dilemmas bringing to focus a few of its back room discussions. Prison Poetry follows the lives of three men from three different generations when they share the same jail cell for one night. No one knows or inquires to the charges that have placed them there. Their differences are exposed through confrontation and their similarities are revealed through poetry. In 2005, Prison Poetry was awarded the 22nd Annual Larry Neal Award for Drama. The elder Shujaa and recent law school graduate Tobias exemplify the class struggle and the tension between the architects of "the civil rights movement" and the ones who simply inherited it. Whereas Poet and Tobias best represent the great divide between the modern reactions of black people to the "new and improved" America. Together they combine to present a holistic point of view of the thoughts, desires and tragic circumstances that often derail, distract or destroy many young black men's lives in this country. The setting in a confining holding cell is the perfect environment to harbor deep hostility. It's also the perfect place to build deep camaraderie. Initially, limited life experiences and the reflection of America's privileged position in the world community confront the realities of survival through none other than the rejection of a humble offering of a newspaper to be used as toilet paper.