Magis Theatre Company is proud that our "Odyssey Project" now serves to bring theatre workshops to incarcerated and recently incarcerated individuals. Piloted at Otisville Federal Correctional Institute in Otisville, New York, the story and journey of Odysseus becomes a journey of the soul for each person shedding light on the obstacles and challenges along the way. Through the thoughtful adaptation of Joseph Brockett and Creative Educational Systems, this timeless tale reaches the hearts of us still today.
Here are some of the things the inmates had to say about their first workshop:
This was a great experience that I hope we can continue here at Otisville. I enjoyed the performance and found the spiritual message very inspiring. I would love to learn some of the skills you guys could teach us. Maybe learning acting skills from you could help us to confront and conquer some of our own fears and doubts. Thank you!
Excellent experience, I felt myself immersed in the story. Looking forward to see more.
I really enjoyed the show. This is actually my first time experiences a solo show, let alone a big production… I am extremely impressed and interested in doing something like this.
Dear Father George,
This was great. I’ve gotten a lot of ideas on what to do for my next project… We do speeches but it helps to act them out. It would be great to see you again. It would also be great if you could train us to be better actors. Thanks again for this production.
I really enjoyed your performance. It was a new experience for me. Thank you.
As inmates we look for escape- not the type that involves climbing fences, the the kind that takes us away, just for a while, of the 24/7 environment of prison that surrounds us. For the last two hours with Fr. George’s production I was not in prison. I was in a much better place. Those moments are rare. Thank you.
Great outreach for inmates, especially to learn to express themselves in a public atmosphere.
Great performance! I loved how the story presented taught me a little about my faith. Thank you ! !
I like to see the theater production with Father George come here to Otisville..
Can give inmates something to learn that can be used to help them on the outside and not come back to prison, and to entertain! Also gives a sense of well being.
I think this would help me open up and express myself without so much self-doubt and anxiety. I have social anxiety and the idea of any performance terrifies me, but also gives me something to strive for.
Excellent! Loved it, very enthralling. Can’t wait to see more. Thank you.
Father George was fantastic! I was amazed by his performance and his ability to remember the script.
Thank you for sharing your time, creativity, and love of theatre and may God always bless you with peace and joy!
A break form prison. Glimpse back into society with a front row seat of theatre. Thank you.
I enjoyed the workshop at the beginning of show. Also liked to watch the transitions between characters in the solo performance.
I enjoyed the production tonight. I would like to see them come back to FCI Otisville on a regular basis. I believe these workshops would help us express ourselves constructively and we would learn more about theatre.
We are also branching out to similar institutions right here in NYC bringing "more" through this exciting project.