Reading Shakespeare is like a rite of passage for all of us. At some point in our lives we read Shakespeare for school and personally I don't mind Shakespeare. It is one thing to read Shakespeare and another to read it in jail. It kind of sounds weird right? Picturing a bunch of really tough men reading Shakespeare's carefully crafted words to spend the time. In the radio show my teacher made us listen to this is the case. Taking place in Missouri Eastern Correctional Center is a production of Hamlets Act 5, and a man called Jack Hitt was there during the whole process. Now there is something they don't show in FOXs show Correctional huh?
What grabbed my attention the most about the fact that there were all these men putting on a production of Hamlet in Jail, was that they could relate to the characters in such a deep level. Particularly Big Hutch, who plays the scholar Horatio. Just listening to Big Hutches voice, you would never really consider him a scholar and now he is taking center stage as one. Big Hutch really impressed me with his analysis of Hamlet himself. He put Hamlet on the spot about all his decision struggles saying how he, a prisoner, would never think things so much. He gives the example of his daughter getting raped and how he would have to DO and not just sit there and ponder every single outcome of what would happen. Its interesting seeing this point of view from a person that somehow gets Hamlet really well by actually feeling what Hamlet feels. Its not like I have ever killed anyone (or have I ?) or have wanted to kill someone really really bad.. All the men in this radio show put their experiences to the test when they interpret their character. Its not just about playing someone else, its making that character become the embodiment of the emotions these men had when they killed someone. Acting is not just acting; it is an outlet even for really tough prisoners.
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