Juvenile detention inmates perform an evening of comedy, improv and poetry to delighted, impressed audiences.
By David Wallace /Special to The Malibu Times
Last week, 14 present and former teenage inmates of Camp Vernon Kilpatrick, a juvenile detention facility near Malibu, presented two evenings of improvisation, poetry and song at the Malibu Stage Co. titled “Locked Up In Malibu.”
Produced in association with the L.A. County Probation Department, probation officer Tom Barr and local playwright Sandra Heyward, the event was a vigorous reminder that talent is democratic, possessed by children all too often written off by society as well as by their luckier peers. Both evenings’ audiences also reflected an appropriate social egalitarianism, including on Friday (the performance reviewed) both inner city residents and television’s American president (“The West Wing’s” Martin Sheen).
Directed by professional actor Susie Duff, who has taught acting at the camp for six years, 11 inmates of Camp Kilpatrick opened the evening with improvised skits inspired by situations suggested by the audience. Rotating through several classic improv exercises introduced by Fernando (last names of minors may not published per court order) the group inspired near continuous laughter with such skits as those portraying a pair of sisters shopping, a car broken down on the freeway, a pair of trapeze artists and surfing in Malibu. Although inexperienced and somewhat nervous, all players turned in winning performances. They included Andre, Ronnie, Mariel, Kevin, Joshua, Ramon, Marcus, Solomon, Kevin, Gustavo and Fernando.
As good as was the improv portion of the evening, the most impressive moments were elicited by three “slam” poets mentored by Heyward who presented their work on the second half of the bill: Mario, and Peter (both released from Camp Kilpatrick Oct. 7), and Timmy, who is scheduled to be released in January. (“Slam” can be described as unrhymed, in-your-face, highly expressive poetry). Poetry prevails among inmates at Camp Kilpatrick
n Juvenile detention inmates perform an Poetry prevails among inmates at Camp Kilpatrick
n Juvenile detention inmates perform an evening of comedy, improv and poetry to delighted, impressed audiences.
By David Wallace
Special to The Malibu Times
Last week, 14 present and former teenage inmates of Camp Vernon Kilpatrick, a juvenile detention facility near Malibu, presented two evenings of improvisation, poetry and song at the Malibu Stage Co. titled “Locked Up In Malibu.”
Produced in association with the L.A. County Probation Department, probation officer Tom Barr and local playwright Sandra Heyward, the event was a vigorous reminder that talent is democratic, possessed by children all too often written off by society as well as by their luckier peers. Both evenings’ audiences also reflected an appropriate social egalitarianism, including on Friday (the performance reviewed) both inner city residents and television’s American president (“The West Wing’s” Martin Sheen).
Directed by professional actor Susie Duff, who has taught acting at the camp for six years, 11 inmates of Camp Kilpatrick opened the evening with improvised skits inspired by situations suggested by the audience. Rotating through several classic improv exercises introduced by Fernando (last names of minors may not published per court order) the group inspired near continuous laughter with such skits as those portraying a pair of sisters shopping, a car broken down on the freeway, a pair of trapeze artists and surfing in Malibu. Although inexperienced and somewhat nervous, all players turned in winning performances. They included Andre, Ronnie, Mariel, Kevin, Joshua, Ramon, Marcus, Solomon, Kevin, Gustavo and Fernando.
As good as was the improv portion of the evening, the most impressive moments were elicited by three “slam” poets mentored by Heyward who presented their work on the second half of the bill: Mario, and Peter (both released from Camp Kilpatrick Oct. 7), and Timmy, who is scheduled to be released in January. (“Slam” can be described as unrhymed, in-your-face, highly expressive poetry).
The segment opened with a group effort about love, hate, and confusion appropriately titled “Triple Threat Triad;” although brilliantly constructed and well executed, the work occasionally fell prey to familiar teenage angst. So too, in a lighter vein, did Timmy’s “Express Yourself.”
Matters improved greatly with Peter’s “Touch Her” which, within a framework of other teen obsessions-sex and love-was memorable for such terrific lines as ” … if I could just run my fingers through her imagination.”
Mario’s “Last Night’s Dream” was tougher and mirrored deep feelings, as did Peter’s paean to lost love sung a capella in a gentle baritone, “Even Though You’re Gone.” One would think that, surely, social protest would enter into the poetry of these teen inmates and, in Mario’s and Timmy’s meditative duet on being incarcerated, “What’s the Cure?” it did-albeit far gentler than one might have expected. In fact, the language throughout the evening was remarkable for the restrained use of the expected four letter words.
For many, the highlight of the evening was Timmy’s “ABC’S,” a madcap, hip-hop, alliterative scherzo of words beginning with the same letter. Charmingly delivered, it had humor and style, and was a convincing demonstration that, as he proclaimed, “poetry prevails.”
For Timmy , for his colleagues, and for a couple of sold-out audiences at the Malibu Playhouse last week, it did.
The associate producer of “Locked Up In Malibu” was Gene Massey, and the stage and lighting manager was Elizabeth Gulick.
The poetry of the artists mentioned will be published in future issues.