ANNOUNCING THE NEW FALL PRISON PLAY 2023 !
Eavesdrop Café; Look W.H.O.S. Talking…
Produced by William Head on Stage and Full Spectrum Arts Society
Directed by Kate Rubin
It’s October in Metchosin. With that comes the smell of wet leaves and wood smoke, shorter days, a chill warded off by a sweater and PRISON THEATRE! That’s right, William Head on Stage is back! After a long pandemic hiatus, live audiences are once again invited to come watch our fall production.
This year we are excited to present: Eavesdrop Café; Look W.H.O.S. Talking…
Come in for a coffee and listen to some of the stories playing out inside this special café that draws all kinds. William Head on Stage is Canada’s only prisoner-run theatre company that has a rich history of 42 years of producing live, public performances within the confines of William Head Institution.
During the pandemic, we didn't let the restrictions dampen our creativity. Partnering with our Co-Producers SNAFU (www.snafudance.com) we ventured into podcasting with Dark Traveler (2020), embarked on art and writing prompts with a project called The Great Creative Exchange, and even created short film compilations like Common Threads in 2021 and Beneath The Mask in 2022. Additionally, WHoS celebrated its 40th anniversary with The Prison Theatre Time Machine which was brought to a wider audience in downtown Victoria.
Now, in 2023, we have returned with a live performance, Eavesdrop Café; Look W.H.O.S Talking… an original show, collaboratively created and written by incarcerated men at William Head, outside artists, and directed by Kate Rubin. It's impressive to see how this unique theater company has persevered and continued to thrive, showcasing the talent and creativity of the men involved. It's a testament to the power of the arts in restorative justice and personal growth.
As with all WHoS LIVE productions there will be the opportunity for the audience to engage with cast and crew in our acclaimed Q & A "Talk Back" Session, immediately following the conclusion of the performance.
LIVE PERFORMANCE DATES 2023
October 13, 14, 20, 21*, 27, 28*, Nov. 3 and 4
Gates Open at 6:15 pm, Gates Close at 7:15 pm, Show starts at 7:30 pm.
*October 21 and 28 also have Matinee performances:
For Matinees, Gates Open at 11:45 am, Gates Close at 12:45 pm, Show starts at 1:00 pm.
No Late Entry permitted. NO PRINTED TICKET, NO ENTRY.
W.H.o.S. is located inside a Federal Institution.
Must be 19 years or older to enter.
You may be electronically scanned and searched by a dog. Personal belongings (purses, cell phones, smart watches, wallets, money, cameras) are forbidden and must be left in your car. Free lockers are available.
NO SMOKING MATERIALS ARE PERMITTED.
PHOTO ID REQUIRED.
You must have a PRINTED TICKET for entry.
BUY TICKETS ONLINE HERE
OR
In-person at our 2 valued partner locations: RED BARN Latoria location and RED BARN James Bay location.
Directed by Kate Rubin
It’s October in Metchosin. With that comes the smell of wet leaves and wood smoke, shorter days, a chill warded off by a sweater and PRISON THEATRE! That’s right, William Head on Stage is back! After a long pandemic hiatus, live audiences are once again invited to come watch our fall production.
This year we are excited to present: Eavesdrop Café; Look W.H.O.S. Talking…
Come in for a coffee and listen to some of the stories playing out inside this special café that draws all kinds. William Head on Stage is Canada’s only prisoner-run theatre company that has a rich history of 42 years of producing live, public performances within the confines of William Head Institution.
During the pandemic, we didn't let the restrictions dampen our creativity. Partnering with our Co-Producers SNAFU (www.snafudance.com) we ventured into podcasting with Dark Traveler (2020), embarked on art and writing prompts with a project called The Great Creative Exchange, and even created short film compilations like Common Threads in 2021 and Beneath The Mask in 2022. Additionally, WHoS celebrated its 40th anniversary with The Prison Theatre Time Machine which was brought to a wider audience in downtown Victoria.
Now, in 2023, we have returned with a live performance, Eavesdrop Café; Look W.H.O.S Talking… an original show, collaboratively created and written by incarcerated men at William Head, outside artists, and directed by Kate Rubin. It's impressive to see how this unique theater company has persevered and continued to thrive, showcasing the talent and creativity of the men involved. It's a testament to the power of the arts in restorative justice and personal growth.
As with all WHoS LIVE productions there will be the opportunity for the audience to engage with cast and crew in our acclaimed Q & A "Talk Back" Session, immediately following the conclusion of the performance.
LIVE PERFORMANCE DATES 2023
October 13, 14, 20, 21*, 27, 28*, Nov. 3 and 4
Gates Open at 6:15 pm, Gates Close at 7:15 pm, Show starts at 7:30 pm.
*October 21 and 28 also have Matinee performances:
For Matinees, Gates Open at 11:45 am, Gates Close at 12:45 pm, Show starts at 1:00 pm.
No Late Entry permitted. NO PRINTED TICKET, NO ENTRY.
W.H.o.S. is located inside a Federal Institution.
Must be 19 years or older to enter.
You may be electronically scanned and searched by a dog. Personal belongings (purses, cell phones, smart watches, wallets, money, cameras) are forbidden and must be left in your car. Free lockers are available.
NO SMOKING MATERIALS ARE PERMITTED.
PHOTO ID REQUIRED.
You must have a PRINTED TICKET for entry.
BUY TICKETS ONLINE HERE
OR
In-person at our 2 valued partner locations: RED BARN Latoria location and RED BARN James Bay location.
WHoS has been working on a series of Short Films
In 2022 we were not able to bring in audiences for a live play due to ongoing COVID restrictions, so we are actually working on a short film project that we are hoping to release publicly in November 2023! Please Join Our Email List so we can send you updates and invites when we have future events to share.
This creative arts experience affected me so deeply, with a real and lasting raw honesty…Needless to say I have grown as a person since becoming a part of W.H.o.S. I have reconnected with parts of myself that I thought were lost forever.” - P.H. W.H.o.S. Incarcerated Artist 2021
RECENT PROJECTS in 2022
In May 2022, WHoS co-produced a live event downtown at the Salvation Army ARC Building. Audiences experienced compressed history – four decades of standing ovations, stage fright, and singing in public for the first time – at a walk-through gallery and shadow puppetry performance celebrating the past 40 years of prison theatre. Documented in photos, posters, crew T-shirts, news articles, costume pieces and handcrafted giant puppets—these artifacts of prison theatre history decorated four hallways of the gallery tour, one hallway for each decade, starting in the 1980s up to present day.
Victoria’s William Head Prison has been the home of WHoS Prison Theatre Company for forty years, led by incarcerated artists who create and perform plays for the general public. Normally each fall, thousands of people buy tickets, drive out through Metchosin and sit in the prison gymnasium to witness the hard work of the incarcerated actors, builders and musicians. As we were unable to do a play in 2021, instead the incarcerated artists designed and built the Prison Theatre Time Machine: a gallery installation that we shared with public audiences at the Salvation Army Addiction and Rehabilitation Centre in downtown Victoria May 26-29, 2022.
The tour begans, guided by an audio soundtrack of the voices of William Head on Stage (W.H.o.S.) artists past and present. Like Alice down-the-rabbit-hole, you follow the shadow of a person chasing a butterfly through each hallway of prison theatre artifacts.
Victoria’s William Head Prison has been the home of WHoS Prison Theatre Company for forty years, led by incarcerated artists who create and perform plays for the general public. Normally each fall, thousands of people buy tickets, drive out through Metchosin and sit in the prison gymnasium to witness the hard work of the incarcerated actors, builders and musicians. As we were unable to do a play in 2021, instead the incarcerated artists designed and built the Prison Theatre Time Machine: a gallery installation that we shared with public audiences at the Salvation Army Addiction and Rehabilitation Centre in downtown Victoria May 26-29, 2022.
The tour begans, guided by an audio soundtrack of the voices of William Head on Stage (W.H.o.S.) artists past and present. Like Alice down-the-rabbit-hole, you follow the shadow of a person chasing a butterfly through each hallway of prison theatre artifacts.
As men we don't often allow ourselves the opportunity, or have the opportunity, to be vulnerable, express how we feel, and share that with others. It was incredible to witness that by the cast [of W.H.o.S.] tonight. Thank you for sharing that with us.” - Parker, W.H.o.S. audience member 2019
It was powerful to watch the stories of individuals and the community be woven together … to see the joy, the humour, the sweetness of hearts behind the costumes. … I believe these moments are truly healing for everyone on stage and off. Thank you for sharing this work!” - Carmelle, W.H.o.S. audience member 2019
DARK TRAVELLER
CANADA'S FIRST PODCAST CREATED BY INCARCERATED ARTISTS
Official podcast launch (with more episodes every week) June 2nd, 2021 on all Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Breaker, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic
William Head on Stage prison theatre company (or WHoS) and SNAFU Society of Unexpected Spectacles are excited to release their latest co-production, Dark Traveller. The podcast consists of 3 episodes; each is approximately 40 minutes. It features the team performing the radio play The Northern Lights, a science-fiction radio play initially written in 1949 by Wyllis Cooper, behind the scenes interviews with the incarcerated artists about the process of creating the podcast and an original sequel inspired by the old radio show, and a mix of creative writing inspired by the Northern Lights themes & workshops.
William Head on Stage prison theatre company (or WHoS) and SNAFU Society of Unexpected Spectacles are excited to release their latest co-production, Dark Traveller. The podcast consists of 3 episodes; each is approximately 40 minutes. It features the team performing the radio play The Northern Lights, a science-fiction radio play initially written in 1949 by Wyllis Cooper, behind the scenes interviews with the incarcerated artists about the process of creating the podcast and an original sequel inspired by the old radio show, and a mix of creative writing inspired by the Northern Lights themes & workshops.
Already listened?
Click here to leave a comment for the incarcerated artists
Show Credits
Radio Play “The Northern Lights” written by Wyllis Cooper.
Creative Writing, Commercials, and Commentary created by incarcerated artists Midnight, Paul
Dark, Dr. Percy, and The Captain.
Edited by Kathleen Greenfield.
Workshop Facilitation and additional voices by Anne Cirillo, Kathleen Greenfield, Ingrid Hansen,
Jeni Luther, and Kate Rubin.
Dark Traveller cover art is by Carolyn Moon as part of our pen-pal art exchange between ‘outside’
and incarcerated artists.
A big heartfelt thank you to the staff and team at Correctional Service of Canada for their
support with this project.
SNAFU and WHoS would like to thank the generous support of the CRD Arts Commission, The Canada Council for the Arts, and the BC Arts Council.
Click here to leave a comment for the incarcerated artists
Show Credits
Radio Play “The Northern Lights” written by Wyllis Cooper.
Creative Writing, Commercials, and Commentary created by incarcerated artists Midnight, Paul
Dark, Dr. Percy, and The Captain.
Edited by Kathleen Greenfield.
Workshop Facilitation and additional voices by Anne Cirillo, Kathleen Greenfield, Ingrid Hansen,
Jeni Luther, and Kate Rubin.
Dark Traveller cover art is by Carolyn Moon as part of our pen-pal art exchange between ‘outside’
and incarcerated artists.
A big heartfelt thank you to the staff and team at Correctional Service of Canada for their
support with this project.
SNAFU and WHoS would like to thank the generous support of the CRD Arts Commission, The Canada Council for the Arts, and the BC Arts Council.
ABOUT THE COMPANY - William Head on Stage (W.H.o.S.
William Head on Stage (or WHoS) is Canada’s longest-running prison theatre program. Since 1981, the inmates have staged a play each fall and invited the general public. Anyone 19 or older can buy a ticket, go through prison security, enter the prison gymnasium and experience the show performed by the prisoners.
“WHoS is a safe place where we don’t have to wear a mask or project an image,” says one prisoner participant. “Going through prison...there are many messages we get put into our heads that you are inhuman...The process slowly chips away at you. I didn’t realize how deep it went until I was exposed to the community. Oh yes, this is what it is like to be treated like a person…we need normal human contact without an agenda.”
Questions?
Contact whonstage@gmail.com
“WHoS is a safe place where we don’t have to wear a mask or project an image,” says one prisoner participant. “Going through prison...there are many messages we get put into our heads that you are inhuman...The process slowly chips away at you. I didn’t realize how deep it went until I was exposed to the community. Oh yes, this is what it is like to be treated like a person…we need normal human contact without an agenda.”
Questions?
Contact whonstage@gmail.com
“One of the best performances I have seen. It took terrific heart and courage for these men to get up onstage, do something new, and share a piece of themselves with the audience. I would go again in a heartbeat.”
- The Charlebois Post
“W.H.o.S. is a testament to
the power of theatre to change lives.”
- The Globe and Mail
the power of theatre to change lives.”
- The Globe and Mail
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A heartfelt thank-you to our supporters,
