A Midsummer Night's Dream In Prison

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"Exit 12" 23m 38s After two tours in Fallujah during the Iraq War, US Marine and Combat Veteran Roman Baca came home ravaged with depression, anxiety, and anger. With few places to turn, Roman went back to his first passion, ballet, as a way to cope — and discovered that through dance he was able to “reprogram” himself and begin to heal. This inspired Roman to start Exit 12 — a New York-based dance company led by Veterans and military families. Through dance and choreography, Exit 12 tells stories about the effects of war — both to heal themselves and also to change the perceptions and stereotypes of the Veteran community. -- "A Midsummer Night's Dream In Prison" 1h 0m 03s "It's almost like for three hours we weren't in prison," says Zeb, one of the prison inmates in rural Eastern Oregon who arrives at the transformative possibility of re-imagining his life story, past and future, while putting on Shakespeare's comedic tale, A Midsummer Night's Dream in Prison, under lock-down. As the journey unfolds, themes of gender identity and the challenges faced by BIPOC prisoners are deftly explored, and the power of the arts to challenge and heal, even under the most difficult circumstances, is affirmed and celebrated.