The End of Isolation Tour (EIT) presents The BOX, a play written by Sarah Shourd, a survivor of solitary confinement, in collaboration with other survivors. The BOX is a play about collective resistance and personal transformation inspired by stories in U.S. prisons collected through years of in-depth letter correspondence and visits with incarcerated people across the country. The BOX is a rare glimpse at the intimate bonds forged in the deep end of our prison system, the ripple effects of systematic torture, and what it means to be human. EIT will bring immersive, transformative theater to communities across the country on the front lines of imagining a world without prison and the torture of solitary confinement. We are more than theater alone. We are a catalyst for building, strengthening, and knitting together communities across the country on the frontlines of ending torture and isolation.
SHOWTIMES:
- Saturday, August 13 — 7:30-9:30pm
- Sunday, August 14 — 7:30-9:30pm
Click here to purchase your tickets today!
House opens at 6:30pm. The performance will begin promptly at 7:00pm and will last for one hour and 30 minutes. At 8:30pm, we will hold a 30-minute post-performance engagement circle that will focus on using our bodies to collectively process the experience. We will wrap up at 9:00pm.
LOCATION: Eastern State Penitentiary, 2027 Fairmount Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19130
PRICING: $20 low-income/high school and college students/seniors, $35 sustainer, $50 uplifter. All proceeds go toward supporting the tour and future performances, so please give what you can.
COMMUNITY PARTNERS:
Abolitionist Law Center - A public interest law firm inspired by the struggle of political and politicized prisoners, and organized for the purpose of abolishing class and race based mass incarceration in the United States.
Eastern State Penitentiary - Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site interprets the legacy of American criminal justice reform, from the nation’s founding through to the present day, within the long-abandoned cellblocks of the nation’s most historic prison.
Planting Justice - A nonprofit addressing the structural inequalities embedded in the industrialized food system and transforming the food system one garden at a time.
Visualizing Abolition - A public scholarship initiative at University of California Santa Cruz with the aim to foster creative research and shift the social attachment to prisons through art and education.
NATIONAL PARTNERS:
Unlock the Box - A national advocacy campaign aimed at ending solitary confinement in all U.S. prisons, jails, detention facilities, and juvenile facilities. The group works with survivors, family members, and advocates to end state-sponsored torture and adhere to the standards laid out by the United Nations.
Solitary Watch - A national watchdog group that investigates and documents the widespread use of solitary confinement in U.S. prisons and jails. Solitary Watch offers original reporting, background research, and advocacy tools to promote awareness, debate, and change.
National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) - NRCAT mobilizes people of faith to end torture in U.S. policy, practice, and culture. NRCAT is composed of more than 300 religious organizations. Its mission is to advance the values of human dignity, human rights, and an end to torture, without exception.
ATTENTION: Please bring your own mask to wear during the performance, N95s are preferred. All of our actors and crew members have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and we ask that audience members come to our show fully vaccinated as well. This venue is an outdoor venue. Limited socially distanced seating is available on a first-come-first-serve basis.
This is an immersive theater experience. Seating assignments are first-come-first-serve. You can opt to sit in close proximity to the actors (but will not be required to participate in the show) or on the sidelines. Be advised that the performance includes profanity, sexual language, and violent content that may not be appropriate for all ages. Should the show trigger you, we have ushers on hand to support you.
Please be in your seat 10 minutes before the performance begins. At that time, any unclaimed seats will be offered for sale to the public.
NOTE: A limited number of complimentary tickets are available for formerly-incarcerated and system-impacted people. To request a free ticket, email Seneca ([email protected]). Include your full name and the city and date of the performance you would like to attend. Media inquiries are also welcome.
GET THERE:
Project
NewsArts
NewsArts: a Pulitzer Center initiative that explores the intersections between journalism and art...