William Head on Stage’s production of 45 Days in Orbit, performed by incarcerated men at the institution, was not only as glorious as I suspected, but touching in a way I couldn’t have foreseen.
The play itself was a strange, quirky production with fly-by-night prop work and actors who sometimes forgot their lines and, seemingly, forgot what they were doing at times, but it still was one of the most memorable performances I’ve ever seen.
You would be hard-pressed to find actors as dedicated to their storyline as the incarcerated men of William Head Institution. It was such a joy to watch these men find their role and slip into a different world. That is the true heart of this show, and indeed the true heart of dramatic production. In that, they were flawless.
The experience, beyond the play itself, was fascinating. I arrived at the ineffably beautiful grounds of William Head Institution just as the sun was dipping behind the western horizon, and was greeted by a tall, bald man who would’ve been intimidating were he not immediately charming. He asked me if I had any water bottles, cell phones, firearms, or hard drugs stuffed into any part of my personage, and then invited me inside. I went through a security screening and then I was invited to stand under a spotlight in a back parking lot to await a sprinter van.
As the van, with myself in tow enjoying soft-rock radio, approached a building further back within the complex, we were greeted by two kind men with lost-and-found suit jackets and the polite demeanour of those who have seen much worse than you and were doing their utmost to make you feel welcome. I loved them.
Going inside, I was greeted by a gauntlet of art created by the inmates: wood burns of wistful window views and beaded jewelry meant for someone else. Hideously bad black coffee was offered by an eager man with sad eyes. I bought my mother a pair of earrings, and myself a carving of a lonesome trestle spanning calm waters. I will treasure it always.
The play was gorgeous and heartbreaking; the men obviously cared about this production and made sure it was a glorious and heartwarming occasion, even if the lines and stage directions were sometimes momentarily forgotten.
After collecting my watch, wallet, and sense of freedom, I thought about these men as I made the long drive home. This was not the most skilled production I’ve ever seen, nor did it have the most moneyed and exotic set design, but it was truly a production that I will never forget. I will go to every single William Head production I can, ad infinitum.