Do you believe in second chances?
Do you believe that theatre has the power to heal?
Do you enjoy a cocktail or two?
If you answered in the affirmative to the above, join the Shakespeare Behind Bars crew at their Cocktails and Karaoke fundraiser at Amici Café [4] this Friday night, April 20, from 9pm-1am.
Three amazing baskets will be raffled with prizes including:
- A night at 21c Museum Hote [5]l
- Tickets to a myriad of theatres including Derby Dinner Playhouse [6], Pandora Productions, Savage Rose and LePetomane
-Gift baskets from Brown-Forman, J. Michael’s Salon, and the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau
-Passes to the Kentucky Derby Museum [7], Mega Cavern, Belle of Louisville, Comedy Caravan and movie theatres
-Gift certificates from L&N Wine Bistro, Comfy Cow [8], and Adrienne & Co.
For the past 17 years, Shakespeare Behind Bars [9] (SBB) has brought the transformative power of the Bard to incarcerated adults, in what is now the oldest program of its kind in North America.
Bolstered by the success of the adult program, Shakespeare Behind Bars expanded its reach to service youth offenders through the Department of Juvenile Justice at the Audubon Youth Development Center. In January of this year, SBB began programming at the Louisville Day Treatment Center.
Using Shakespeare’s plays as the vehicle, founder and Producing Director Curt Tofteland and Artistic Director Matt Wallace engage inmate participants in a deep study of not only the words, but of themselves.
The intensive yearly program culminates in a full production of one of Shakespeare’s plays, and more importantly, an in-depth understanding of self, responsibility, empathy and tolerance.
And does it work?
Consider this.
The National Recidivism rate (rate of offenders who relapse into crime again) is 67%.
The Kentucky recidivism rate is 29.5%
The recidivism rate for Shakespeare Behind Bars is 5.3%.
The fundraiser for the non-profit group will be held this Friday from 9pm-1am at Amici Café [4] in Old Louisville, 316 W. Ormsby, Louisville, KY 40203.
The cover charge of $5 (suggested donation) and 20% of drink sales will benefit Shakespeare Behind Bars.
Image: Courtesy Shakespeare Behind Bars