THE PULITZER FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS PRESENTS PERFORMANCES BY FORMER PRISONERS AND VETERANS

Actors Guide Audience Members Through the Exhibition While Sharing Their Personal Stories in the Free Public Program ‘Staging Reflections of the Buddha’

ST. LOUIS, MO – February 8, 2012 – The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts presents Staging Reflections of the Buddha, a series of live theatrical performances for three weekends in February and March.  Former prisoners and veterans, who have been trained as actors, will guide the audience through the galleries, moving through the Pulitzer’s current exhibition, Reflections of the Buddha.  The project is designed to break down social barriers by establishing common ground between the audience and the actors.

Each performance consists of theater vignettes that will heighten the audience’s relationship with the 25 works on view – a selection of Buddhist masterworks from the 2nd to 18th centuries, along with two related works of contemporary art. The performance comes to life with the unique experiences the actors bring to the event. The script incorporates the actors' reactions to the art, their personal experiences, and the stories that the works in the exhibition were originally intended to tell.  

This project is a partnership between the Pulitzer, Prison Performing Arts, St. Patrick Center, and Employment Connection.  This multi-disciplinary project required the actors to participate in five months of weekly workshops that included art exploration and instruction, theater exercises, meditation, and rehearsals, culminating in theatrical performances.  Agnes Wilcox, artistic director of Prison Performing Arts led the theatrical workshop and instruction. Concurrently, employment counseling and assistance was provided by case managers from St. Patrick Center with employment assistance provided by Employment Connection.

Samantha Thomas, an actor who participated in the Pulitzer’s Staging Old Masters program two years ago and is taking part in the current program, credits her previous experience with Staging in helping her through recovery and inspiring her to become a drug treatment counselor.  She is now in college and on the honors list.

“The highly personal relationship that one has with art and the profound impact that it can have on a person’s life can be no better demonstrated than with the Staging project,” said Emily Rauh Pulitzer, Founder and Chair of the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts.  “It was enormously rewarding to present Staging Old Masters, and we are thrilled to be bringing this important program back to the Pulitzer with Reflections of the Buddha.”

Agnes Wilcox, artistic director of Prison Performing Arts and director of Staging Reflections of the Buddha, said, “In the past twenty years, I have seen how participation in theater equips people to become more productive members of society.  A theatrical production can provide an excellent environment in which to learn and practice skills that prepare us for success in work and life.”

“We have found it both meaningful and highly impactful for all involved,” said Lisa Harper Chang, the Pulitzer’s community projects director. “All of our actors are in some state of transition–previous homelessness, former incarceration, prior military service–just at different stages of their journey. Their journeys unite with ours through theater experiences amidst the art and through shared ritual. On March 10 at 7 pm, a lantern ceremony will mark the end of the exhibition.”

Staging Reflections of the Buddha performances will be presented at the Pulitzer at the following times:  Thursdays and Fridays, February 23, February 24, March 1, March 2, March 8, and March 9 at 7 pm; Saturdays, February 25 and March 3, 5 and 7 pm; and Sundays, February 26 and March 4 at 3 and 5 pm. On Saturday, March 10, the performance will be held at 5 pm followed by a lantern ceremony at 7 pm. All performances are free and require a ticket, which can be obtained through the Pulitzer’s website or in person when the galleries are open. Staging Reflections of the Buddha will be documented online through videos, photographs, and interviews and will feature the process behind the program, from the initial classes to the final performances.  For more information and ticket availability, please visit stagingbuddha.pulitzerarts.org.

About the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts
The Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts is committed to deepening the understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of the visual, literary and performing arts. The building, designed by Tadao Ando, is both a laboratory and a meditative space in which to experience these art forms and from which to further their vitality and recognition in society.

In celebration of the Pulitzer’s tenth anniversary, Reflections of the Buddha, a superb selection of some of the greatest Buddhist sculptures and hanging scrolls held in United States collections, is currently on view at the Foundation through March 10, 2012.  The Pulitzer is open and free to the public Wednesdays from 12pm to 5 pm and Saturdays from 10 am to 5 pm. For more information, please visit www.pulitzerarts.org.

Other Participating Organizations

Prison Performing Arts
Prison Performing Arts (PPA) is a 21 -year-old, multi-disciplinary literacy and performing arts program that serves incarcerated adults and children at St. Louis City Juvenile Detention Center, Hogan Street Regional Youth Center, Northeastern Correctional Center (NECC) in Bowling Green, MO and Women's Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center (WERDCC) in Vandalia, MO. PPA involves incarcerated youth and adults in the performing arts to inspire intellectual curiosity and personal development; nurtures the discipline, teamwork and communication skills necessary for successful re-entry into society; encourages members of the larger community to connect personally with program participants; and offers continuing programs for participants who have been released.

www.PrisonArtsStl.org

Employment Connection
Employment Connection has more than 30 years of experience fulfilling its mission of assisting persons with limited opportunities to self-sufficiency through employment. Founded in 1977 after a study by the Young Lawyers Division of the Bar Association of Metropolitan Saint Louis found that employed ex-offenders were 66% less likely to return to incarceration, Employment Connection began to work on lessening recidivism through employment of those leaving prison. In 1980 Employment Connection became a full United Way member agency and expanded its service beyond ex-offenders, assisting recovering substance abusers, the homeless, high school dropouts and non-custodial fathers. In 2008, Employment Connection assisted nearly 1,500 individuals to employment, adding up to over 7 million dollars in wages. Employment Connection also manages two permanent supportive housing programs, Project Homecoming in Saint Louis County and Project Homecoming-Veterans, and is one of the region’s largest service providers to homeless veterans.

www.employmentstl.org

St. Patrick Center
St. Patrick Center is the largest provider of homeless services in Missouri, with more than 20 housing, employment and mental health programs that assist more than 9,000 persons annually who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. St. Patrick Center provides opportunities for self-sufficiency and dignity. Individuals and families build permanent, positive change in their lives through safe and affordable housing, sound mental and physical health, and employment and financial stability.

www.stpatrickcenter.org