“What’s Saving My Life”

“What’s saving my life right now?” That’s a question that means very different things for different people. Every person at some point in their life faces struggles that can leave them feeling hopeless or trapped in an inescapable cycle. 

Dr. Valerie Flower is in her third semester of teaching playwriting at the State Correctional Institution (SCI) Chester–a medium-security, all male prison. Inspired by a sermon from Barbara Brown Taylor, a priest, author and academic, Flower asked her students to answer the question “What’s saving my life?” 

In response, the students wrote scenes and monologues that encourage others to look at both the little and the big things that save them. This type of performance is an Eastern first and took place on January 25 and 26 in McInnis auditorium. 

The staged reading included two students from the original class at SCI Chester who have been released, two current EU theater majors, a dance major, a music major and a criminal justice major. A local professional actor and a staff member from Eastern’s Grants Office were also involved. 

The post performance discussion, titled Problems and Possibilities for Theatre Education in Prison, was facilitated by Flower. Flower shared the goal of the discussion was to “provide a wider context for championing equity in education and the arts with a special attention to the role of the Christian faith in theatre practice.” 

The play was inspired by Jesus when he said: “I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me,” (Matthew 25:36). When asked if there was anything she wanted readers to know about the show, Flower responded, “While some of the monologues are heavy hearted and troubling, there is hope in the piece.  These are stories that need to be heard.”