A complex issue gets thoughtful dramatic treatment in Prison Industrial Complex. (Photo courtesy of Capital Fringe)

Reminds us of: A poem inspired by the New Jim Crow.

Flop, Fine or Fringe-tastic?: Fringe-tastic.

Making a topic as depressing, wonky, and convoluted as America’s prison industrial complex into a piece of performance art that people will want to watch is no easy task. This show accomplishes it. This drama weaves the voices of inmates, guards, family members, public defenders, police officers, politicians, and others caught up in the prison system into a real-life poem of sorts. There’s no single storyline, but instead a series of vignettes threaded together with dance and songs sung with such beauty and passion that your heart will soar and bleed along with them.

This piece is authored by members of The Conciliation Project, a group that uses drama to open dialogue about racism in the U.S. in hopes of promoting eventual healing. This shorter adaptation was arranged by Dr. Tawnya Pettiford-Wates and directed by Joe Carlson. The set and costumes are on point, and the actors linger on heavy moments just long enough to impress their gravity. It’s easy for performances centered around political issues to come off as heavy-handed, pushy, or patronizing, but that’s not the case here; I found myself laughing out loud at the satirical dark humor sprinkled throughout. Many elements of the play come from interviews with real-life inmates; those, along with the statistics sparsely but strategically injected throughout, make it all the more damning. Even those who know a lot about this topic already will appreciate the artistry and heart of the performance.

(A word of warning: the play includes representations of suicide and brutal racialized violence which, while not graphic, are evocative.)

Where to See It: Eastman Studio Theater on July 18 at 8:15 p.m., July 22 at 3:00 p.m. and July 23 at 2:00 p.m. Buy tickets here.

See here for all of DCist’s 2017 Capital Fringe coverage. All shows are $17, with a button ($7) required for entry.