Review: INSIDE OUT: MEN BEHIND BARS at The Invisible Theatre

Inside Out: Men Behind Bars is a unique and profoundly moving project that brings audiences inside the Bureau of Federal Prisons in Tucson and the world of the incarcerated men who live there. This play, now playing at The Invisible Theatre and directed by Betsy Kruse Craig, is a masterpiece. The project, with collaboration with Dr. Linda Green (U of A Professor of Anthropology) is based on original writings by incarcerated students at the Bureau of Federal Prisons in Tucson. Their words echoed throughout the intimate IT space and left a chill and a warmth in the air that moved me to tears.

This is by far the most impactful and important theatrical piece I have seen in Tucson. It is essential that we hear the words of people who have no voice, who have faded from our society and been forgotten. Inside Out gives these talented incarcerated students the opportunity to be heard, to create, and to leave their mark on the world through life-changing art. I was impressed with their writing, and it is clear that there was a great deal of work and vulnerability that went into this project. Truly, this is a unique piece of theatre that transcends mere performance; it is a glimpse into the human soul.

Craig's staging was intentional and varied, giving the actors ample opportunity to move, tell their stories, and get up close and personal to the audience. Inside Out is best described as a series of monologues and vignettes, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much interaction there was between the actors. Some of the scenes were hard to watch, but that is the point. In particular, Jonathan Heras portrays a man talking to his child as the prison goes into lockdown. The call abruptly ends amid the screaming noise and flashing lights. The uncertainty that his family likely felt and the anxiety of the entire situation left a pit in my stomach.

Heras is a tremendous actor. I have seen his work before and this performance especially left an impact on me. Each actor played a different character in the prison and brought their words and their stories to life. Heras was charismatic, tragic, and at times humorous. His reactions and interjections in Spanish were especially fun to hear. As someone who speaks Spanish I appreciated and understood his words. Lucas Gonzales, who I saw in THE CAKE at IT, plays a delightfully obsessive man who "tells it like it is." I love how each actor fully embodied the people and personalities they were portraying. It felt like Gonzalez was talking right to me and his words were piercing my soul. His delivery was impeccable.

Steve Waite brought romance into the setting. Again, we forget that incarcerated persons have lives. They have people who love them. Imagine going years without seeing someone you love. Waite had a loved one named Nadia. This romantic bond of his unseen love gave his character weight and humanity. I felt I strongly identified with Waite's performance. This was the true success of Inside Out: being able to see ourselves in these people and remember that they are real people. The play made me wonder what I would do and how I would feel if I were in their shoes.

Richard "Chomps" Thompson delivers his words with finesse and power. He is a strong actor and not afraid to be vulnerable. All four actors worked together to create a stage picture that made me forget about everything outside their world. The musical selections were excellent here. As stated in the Playbill: "All of the music featured in this production was created by incarcerated or formerly incarcerated musicians. Much of it is from The Prison Music Project." The songs mirrored the moments perfectly and I appreciated their variety. Inside Out, which is nearly sold out, is an absolute triumph for Invisible Theatre. For artistic reasons, yes, but more importantly for the opportunity for the poignant words of these incarcerated artists to be heard loud and clear.