First Christian Helps Shakespeare Behind Bars Bring Healing and Hope to Local Inmates

Thanks to the efforts of First Christian Church member, Joseph Bianca, we have entered into a supportive partnership with Shakespeare Behind Bars in Kentucky.

Shakespeare Behind Bars offers theatrical encounters with personal and social

issues to incarcerated and post-incarcerated adults and juveniles, allowing them to

develop skills that will ensure their successful reintegration into society.

Shakespeare Behind Bars offers participants the ability to hope and the courage to

act despite their fear and the odds against them. Participation in the Shakespeare

Behind Bars program can effectively change our world for the better by influencing

one person at a time, awakening him or her to the power and passion of the

goodness that lives within all of us.

The Shakespeare Behind Bars programs have a proven track record of success. The

recidivism rate over their twenty-one year history is 5.1%. The national recidivism

rate over five years is 80%!

Now in its 22 nd year, Shakespeare Behind Bars (SBB) is the oldest program of its

kind in North America. SBB programming serves incarcerated adults and youth

using exclusively the works of William Shakespeare. SBB’s life changing programs

operate in Kentucky at Luther Luckett Correctional Complex, Audubon Youth

Development Center, Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex and Green River

Correctional Complex.

Former Kentucky Shakespeare Producing Artistic Director Curt L. Tofteland

founded SBB in 1995. Today, Kentucky Shakespeare Producing Artistic Director

Matt Wallace directs the SBB programs in Kentucky with the assistance of Co-

Facilitators Keith McGill and Kathi E.B. Ellis.

The wholeness ministry grant provided by First Christian Church supports the 22nd

Season of Shakespeare Behind Bars at Luther Luckett Correctional Complex by

helping cover the costs of costumes and props as well as costume design. This

season’s performance on May 8 th – 11 th , 2017 is Julius Caesar.

If you would like to learn more about the specific program First Christian is supporting, including information on the upcoming performance by clicking here. You can also feel free to contact Joseph Bianca directly through e-mail.

The wholeness grant used to fund this ministry was made possible through your faithful financial support of our church and its ministries and help fund a variety of efforts to make our world a better place. You can find more examples of those efforts or apply for a grant to make the world a better place by clicking here.