THERE’S A SCENE in Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice” where Shylock argues that people share the similarity of being human, and thus should be treated with respect despite their differences: “If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh?”

A Friday performance of the Bard’s play by San Quentin State Prison inmates elicited laughter here and there, but ultimately drove home the notion that inmates are human beings and desire to be treated as more than just a number.

The inmate actors said it’s difficult for people outside the prison gates to understand them, their emotions and the lives that led them to incarceration. Acting gives them an outlet to express those feelings and grow as individuals.

Inmate Joey Mason, who played Salario, said acting has allowed him to get in touch with a side of himself he previously avoided.

“It’s been an opportunity to be transparent, honest and open,” Mason said. “It’s a challenge. I used to run from these types of challenges because then I had to feel.”

Mason, 53, is a Marin County resident serving 25 years to life under the three-strikes law, after a conviction for first-degree burglary. He and a dozen other inmates partnered with members of the Marin Shakespeare Company for the 10th year Friday to perform Shakespeare for about 150 inmates and visitors in the prison’s chapel. They had been preparing the performance for the past eight months, rehearsing Fridays for two hours.

Inmate Kimani Randall, who played Lorenzo, said working with the Marin Shakespeare Company has profoundly affected his outlook on life.

“It has inspired me to dream again,” Randall said. “It’s given me the courage to trust in other people.”

Randall, 34, is a San Bernardino County resident serving a life sentence plus nine years for assault with a semi-automatic firearm, first- and second-degree burglary, robbery, vehicle theft and kidnapping.

Play co-director Lesley Schisgall Currier, with the Marin Shakespeare Company, said the male inmates have developed conflict resolution skills, communication skills and empathy by discussing some of the issues the literature addresses.

“Some of the themes in this play are very controversial,” Currier said.

Anti-Semitism is present throughout the play, as are the themes of mercy, love, revenge and forgiveness. The main conflict is the powerful hatred the character Shylock feels for those who have derided him for being Jewish. He seeks revenge on one man in particular, Antonio, but his quest doesn’t go as planned. In the end it is Antonio who spares Shylock’s life.

Emily Sloan-Pace, a literature consultant for the play, said bringing the performing arts into correctional institutions is important because it teaches inmates communication skills and boosts their self-worth.

“It gives them the type of respect they deserve as human beings,” Sloan-Pace said.

Inmate John Neblett, who played Antonio, said he didn’t realize he’d have to bring so much of his own personality to the table in order to breathe a character to life.

“I’ve learned I’m not going to act well unless I put me into this character,” said Neblett, 50, a San Diego resident serving 15 years to life for second-degree murder.

With Venice painted on a sheet of fabric behind them, the inmates donned hats and minimalist costumes over their prison-issued blue uniforms. Music played as they walked on and off stage, one inmate even strumming his guitar and singing.

While the props were limited, including a sword made from cardboard tubes and a knife that was actually a popsicle stick, the actors made it work. There were only a handful of visible flubs throughout the two-and-a-half hour play.

Albany resident Juanita Rynerson said the play is ambitious, with some inmates such as Julian Glenn Padgett, who played Shylock, demonstrating a true gift for acting. She said it was encouraging to see the inmates embrace Shakespeare.

“For anybody, when you can say the words of Shakespeare, it’s very empowering,” said Rynerson.

Padgett, 49, of Sacramento, said he developed his powerful-voiced, snarling character while reading lines in front of his cell mirror. A veteran of the prison’s Shakespeare program, he commands the stage with his presence.

“As I rehearse and I make mistakes, that’s how characters are born,” Padgett said. “Once I feel it in my heart, I build off that.”

Padgett is serving 31 years to life for first-degree murder, arson, burglary and grand theft.

The men have been rehearsing since September, but the three female actresses needed for the play only joined them in late February. All are studying to get their master’s degrees in drama therapy, which helps people deal with problems through acting.

San Francisco resident Amelia Calhoun Kriss, who played Jessica, said she’d never been inside a prison before and was a bit concerned about what she might see.

“I was worried about the amount of emotional pain I might encounter here,” Kriss said.

East Bay resident Kim Moody, who played Portia, agreed.

“I expected to come in nervous and leery,” Moody said. “I was surprised to find the inmates were welcoming, open and really warm from the first rehearsal.”

She said the experience has been strange in some ways, but the cast interacts like they would for any other out-of-prison performance.

“We feel close now,” Moody said. “It’s amazing to see the transformations, growth and healing.”

Contact Megan Hansen via email at mhansen@marinij.com or via Twitter at http://twitter.com/hansenmegan

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