Prison Theatre Time Machine
A Gallery and Mini-Performance
Celebrating 40 Years of W.H.o.S. Prison Theatre
Co-Produced by William Head on Stage (WHoS) and SNAFU
Experience compressed history – four decades of standing ovations, stage fright, and singing in public for the first time – at a walk-through gallery and shadow puppetry performance celebrating the past 40 years of prison theatre. Documented in photos, posters, crew T-shirts, news articles, costume pieces and handcrafted giant puppets—these artifacts of prison theatre history decorate four hallways of the gallery tour, one hallway for each decade, starting in the 1980s up to present day.
Victoria’s William Head Prison has been the home of WHoS Prison Theatre Company for forty years, led by incarcerated artists who create and perform plays for the general public. Normally each fall, thousands of people buy tickets, drive out through Metchosin and sit in the prison gymnasium to witness the hard work of the incarcerated actors, builders and musicians. As they were unable to do a play in 2021, instead the incarcerated artists designed and built the Prison Theatre Time Machine: a gallery installation that they will share with public audiences at the Salvation Army Addiction and Rehabilitation Centre in downtown Victoria May 26-29, 2022.
The tour begins, guided by an audio soundtrack of the voices of William Head on Stage (W.H.o.S.) artists past and present. Like Alice down-the-rabbit-hole, you follow the shadow of a person chasing a butterfly through each hallway of prison theatre artifacts. Audiences pre-book a tour timeslot, and enter the gallery in groups of ten. Each tour is about 30 minutes long.
Experience compressed history – four decades of standing ovations, stage fright, and singing in public for the first time – at a walk-through gallery and shadow puppetry performance celebrating the past 40 years of prison theatre. Documented in photos, posters, crew T-shirts, news articles, costume pieces and handcrafted giant puppets—these artifacts of prison theatre history decorate four hallways of the gallery tour, one hallway for each decade, starting in the 1980s up to present day.
Victoria’s William Head Prison has been the home of WHoS Prison Theatre Company for forty years, led by incarcerated artists who create and perform plays for the general public. Normally each fall, thousands of people buy tickets, drive out through Metchosin and sit in the prison gymnasium to witness the hard work of the incarcerated actors, builders and musicians. As they were unable to do a play in 2021, instead the incarcerated artists designed and built the Prison Theatre Time Machine: a gallery installation that they will share with public audiences at the Salvation Army Addiction and Rehabilitation Centre in downtown Victoria May 26-29, 2022.
The tour begins, guided by an audio soundtrack of the voices of William Head on Stage (W.H.o.S.) artists past and present. Like Alice down-the-rabbit-hole, you follow the shadow of a person chasing a butterfly through each hallway of prison theatre artifacts. Audiences pre-book a tour timeslot, and enter the gallery in groups of ten. Each tour is about 30 minutes long.
TICKETS:
By donation, suggested donation $10 or more. No one turned away due to lack of funds.
All ticket sales online.
LOCATION:
Salvation Army Addiction and Rehabilitation Centre (Main Floor)
525 Johnson St, Victoria (Corner of Johnson & Wharf St, next to the thrift store. Entrance to performances will be on wharf street.)
This event takes place on the traditional territory of the lək̓wəŋən (also known as the Songhees & Esquimalt First Nations), the Sc'ianew & the WSÁNEĆ first nations.
Public Tour Schedule:
Thursday May 26 30 Min Tours @ 6PM, 6:45PM, 7:30PM, 8:15PM, 9PM
Friday May 27 30 Min Tours @ 6PM, 6:45PM, 7:30PM, 8:15PM, 9PM
Saturday May 28 30 Min Tours @ 1PM, 1:45PM, 2:30PM, 3:15PM, 5:15PM, 6PM, 6:45PM
Sunday May 29 30 Min Tours @ 1PM, 1:45PM, 2:30PM, 3:15PM, 5:15PM, 6PM, 6:45PM
The Prison Theatre Time Machine gallery is open for 30 minute scheduled tours from May 26-29. Tickets are by donation, and are available at snafudance.com. This event is following all COVID safety protocols provided by Provincial Health. Face mask are recommended, and please book your tickets in advance online.
No reading necessary, everything is video and audio.
Tours are 10 people at a time.
Masks recommended. Phones must please be turned off. No photos allowed.
ACCESSIBILITY:
Wheelchair accessible, with ramp access through the main entry double doors.
There is an all-gender wheelchair accessible washroom on the main floor.
The audio guide will have a written transcription option available for Deaf folks.
Support workers/caregivers for audience members with special needs attend free, just please book the caregiver a ticket online, and enter a ticket amount of “zero dollars.” (Everyone please needs their own ticket to enter.) This performance includes moments of dim light, moving lights (not strobe), and loud-ish music.
If you have any other access needs or questions please reach out to us, we’d love to hear from you.
Email ingrid@snafudance.com
PARKING:
Bastion Square Parkade, 575 Yates St (1 block away)
Johnson Street Parkade, 750 Johnson St (3 blocks away
CREDITS:
This event is Co-Produced by SNAFU and William Head On Stage.
The Prison Theatre Time Machine event is co-designed and built by Jeni Luther and the incarcerated artists of William Head Prison.
The Salvation Army Addictions and Rehabilitation Centre is thrilled to support the transformative work of W.H.o.S. and SNAFU.
SNAFU is grateful for the support of the Capital Regional District Arts Commission, the BC Arts Council, and the Canada Council for the Arts. A big heartfelt thank you to the staff and team at CSC and the Salvation Army for their countless hours of support with this project.
By donation, suggested donation $10 or more. No one turned away due to lack of funds.
All ticket sales online.
LOCATION:
Salvation Army Addiction and Rehabilitation Centre (Main Floor)
525 Johnson St, Victoria (Corner of Johnson & Wharf St, next to the thrift store. Entrance to performances will be on wharf street.)
This event takes place on the traditional territory of the lək̓wəŋən (also known as the Songhees & Esquimalt First Nations), the Sc'ianew & the WSÁNEĆ first nations.
Public Tour Schedule:
Thursday May 26 30 Min Tours @ 6PM, 6:45PM, 7:30PM, 8:15PM, 9PM
Friday May 27 30 Min Tours @ 6PM, 6:45PM, 7:30PM, 8:15PM, 9PM
Saturday May 28 30 Min Tours @ 1PM, 1:45PM, 2:30PM, 3:15PM, 5:15PM, 6PM, 6:45PM
Sunday May 29 30 Min Tours @ 1PM, 1:45PM, 2:30PM, 3:15PM, 5:15PM, 6PM, 6:45PM
The Prison Theatre Time Machine gallery is open for 30 minute scheduled tours from May 26-29. Tickets are by donation, and are available at snafudance.com. This event is following all COVID safety protocols provided by Provincial Health. Face mask are recommended, and please book your tickets in advance online.
No reading necessary, everything is video and audio.
Tours are 10 people at a time.
Masks recommended. Phones must please be turned off. No photos allowed.
ACCESSIBILITY:
Wheelchair accessible, with ramp access through the main entry double doors.
There is an all-gender wheelchair accessible washroom on the main floor.
The audio guide will have a written transcription option available for Deaf folks.
Support workers/caregivers for audience members with special needs attend free, just please book the caregiver a ticket online, and enter a ticket amount of “zero dollars.” (Everyone please needs their own ticket to enter.) This performance includes moments of dim light, moving lights (not strobe), and loud-ish music.
If you have any other access needs or questions please reach out to us, we’d love to hear from you.
Email ingrid@snafudance.com
PARKING:
Bastion Square Parkade, 575 Yates St (1 block away)
Johnson Street Parkade, 750 Johnson St (3 blocks away
CREDITS:
This event is Co-Produced by SNAFU and William Head On Stage.
The Prison Theatre Time Machine event is co-designed and built by Jeni Luther and the incarcerated artists of William Head Prison.
The Salvation Army Addictions and Rehabilitation Centre is thrilled to support the transformative work of W.H.o.S. and SNAFU.
SNAFU is grateful for the support of the Capital Regional District Arts Commission, the BC Arts Council, and the Canada Council for the Arts. A big heartfelt thank you to the staff and team at CSC and the Salvation Army for their countless hours of support with this project.
SNAFU Society of Unexpected Spectacles
WE'RE TOURING TO WINNIPEG FRINGE July 13-24
Here's what we made LAST summer:
atmosphere at the skampede festival
directed by kathleen greenfield
THANK YOUS
Huge thank you to the CRD Arts Commission and Theatre SKAM.
Huge thank you to the CRD Arts Commission and Theatre SKAM.
DARK TRAVELLER
Canada's first radio play created by
incarcerated artists
William Head on Stage prison theatre company (or WHoS) and SNAFU Society of Unexpected Spectacles are excited to release their latest co-production, Canada’s first podcast series, Dark Traveller. The podcast consists of 3 episodes; each is approximately 40 minutes. It features the team performing the radio play The Northern Lights, a science-fiction radio play initially written in 1949 by Wyllis Cooper, behind the scenes interviews with the incarcerated artists about the process of creating the podcast and an original sequel inspired by the old radio show, and a mix of creative writing inspired by the Northern Lights themes & workshops.
AVAILABLE NOW
on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Breaker, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic
AVAILABLE NOW
on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Breaker, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic
Already listened?
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We love to hear from you !
Show Credits
Radio Play “The Northern Lights” written by Wyllis Cooper.
Creative Writing, Commercials, and Commentary created by incarcerated artists Midnight, Paul
Dark, Dr. Percy, and The Captain.
Edited by Kathleen Greenfield.
Workshop Facilitation and additional voices by Anne Cirillo, Kathleen Greenfield, Ingrid Hansen,
Jeni Luther, and Kate Rubin.
Dark Traveller cover art is by Carolyn Moon as part of our pen-pal art exchange between ‘outside’
and incarcerated artists.
A big heartfelt thank you to the staff and team at Correctional Service of Canada for their
support with this project. SNAFU would also like to thank the generous support of the CRD Arts Commission, The Canada Council for the Arts, and the BC Arts Council.
Click here to leave a comment for the incarcerated artists
We love to hear from you !
Show Credits
Radio Play “The Northern Lights” written by Wyllis Cooper.
Creative Writing, Commercials, and Commentary created by incarcerated artists Midnight, Paul
Dark, Dr. Percy, and The Captain.
Edited by Kathleen Greenfield.
Workshop Facilitation and additional voices by Anne Cirillo, Kathleen Greenfield, Ingrid Hansen,
Jeni Luther, and Kate Rubin.
Dark Traveller cover art is by Carolyn Moon as part of our pen-pal art exchange between ‘outside’
and incarcerated artists.
A big heartfelt thank you to the staff and team at Correctional Service of Canada for their
support with this project. SNAFU would also like to thank the generous support of the CRD Arts Commission, The Canada Council for the Arts, and the BC Arts Council.
Follow SNAFU on Instagram
SNAFU artists create live theatre, puppet theatre, and prison theatre in lək̓wəŋən territory.
We also tour across Canada to theatres and festivals. This performing arts company also collaborates with William Head on Stage Prison Theatre (WHoS). SNAFU is led by artists Kathleen Greenfield and Ingrid Hansen, who, from time to time, teach specialty workshops in puppetry, play-building, viewpoints, and physical theatre.
We also tour across Canada to theatres and festivals. This performing arts company also collaborates with William Head on Stage Prison Theatre (WHoS). SNAFU is led by artists Kathleen Greenfield and Ingrid Hansen, who, from time to time, teach specialty workshops in puppetry, play-building, viewpoints, and physical theatre.
“Fresh and daring . . . SNAFU Dance Theatre is one to watch out for.” |
"Hilarious, invigorating theatre that will follow you home.” |
“PREPARE YOURSELF.” |
