Beyond Punishment: Stories of Justice & Healing premieres on November 30
Join us this fall for the world premiere of Beyond Punishment: Stories of Justice and Healing, an original interview-based theater performance co-produced by the Justice Beyond Punishment Collaborative (JBPC) and Ping Chong and Company!
Beyond Punishment follows the lives of four remarkable individuals who grapple with the intersections and impacts of interpersonal and state violence. The production is performed by the storytellers themselves, and gives insight into their lives, leadership, and healing journeys. Together, their stories encourage us to imagine justice beyond a punitive system that begets further violence.
Beyond Punishment is written and directed by long-time PCC collaborating artist, Kirya Traber, who was invited by JBPC to bring together a group of organizers with lived experience of incarceration to share their own stories in an interview-based theater production. The piece was created through interviews and workshops with the cast members. The theatrical format of the presentation is based on and inspired by the Undesirable Elements series of interview-based theater works examining issues of identity, place, and belonging. Each production is made with local partner organizations and local participants telling their own stories on stage.
Performances are free, and will be presented on Thursday, November 30 at 7pm and Friday, December 1 at 7pm at Weeksville Heritage Center (158 Buffalo Ave, Brooklyn, NY) and on Sunday, December 3 at 4pm at Hi-ARTS (215 E 99th Street, New York, NY). Come watch the show, engage in community reflections, and connect with community organizations and movement partners! Tickets are highly limited, so make sure to reserve early.
This production is one part of the JBPC’s campaign aiming to address the intersections of state and interpersonal violence, and strengthen ideas and approaches to safety and justice that do not rely on punishment, domination, and supremacy. The JBPC is working to support movements in offering compelling and cohesive stories and messaging to end violence, with the goal of realizing a world with justice beyond punishment.