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San Diego State University theatre students this week will perform plays written by inmates in a project titled, “Beyond Prison Walls.” The project, which is now in its eighth year, will
allow an online audience to see works from playwrights within the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, Centinela State Prison and Community Transition Center. Originally scheduled to be
presented in front of a live audience in April, the show was canceled as a result of the new coronavirus. Instead, the students will perform the plays via Zoom for the public. “We are
honored to give voice to our writers and celebrate the imagination and resilience of these artists creating art within confinement,” said Cecelia Kouma, executive director of the Playwrights
Project. Each show will be followed up with a discussion with the cast and representatives from the corrections facilities. Audience members will also learn about programs within the prison
system. “What this team brings (to the residents at Donovan) is the reflection of their value,” Heather Greenwald, chief of mental health at Donovan, said. “And for the moments that they
are all together they are not in prison, they are playwrights, they are actors, they are creators not destroyers, and they are making something beautiful.” The shows will take place at 6
p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. The show is free but viewers are encouraged to make a donation. A reservation is also required to attend the Zoom performance. For more information or to
register, go to playwrightsproject.org/productions/community/.