Cleveland-Area Female Inmates Get Star Turn in Production of 'A Christmas Carol'

Members of a previous production from the Artists Rehabilitation Coalition Credit: Courtesy ARC

Chances are you’ve seen a lot of shows about prison life, from Oz to The Shawshank Redemption. But you may never have seen A Christmas Carol, the classic story of redemption, performed by female prison inmates who are each seeking a redemption of their own.

On December 16, the Cleveland-based Artists Rehabilitation Coalition (ARC) will stage a single-night offering of the Dickens’ classic in a 40-minute version. The actors will all be inmates at the Northeast Reintegration Center, directed by ARC founder and outstanding local performer Lara Mielcarek.

Mielcarek began her connection with prisoners and the arts in 2016, when she was invited to volunteer with the Oberlin Drama at Grafton women’s prison. Since then, she has shared her vast and personal knowledge about stage acting with interested female inmates. And the results have been gratifying.

In past years, Mielcarek has directed readings of Shakespeare plays such as Twelfth Night and Romeo and Juliet. As Mielcarek explains, “I wanted to give these women a chance to learn from acting.”

With A Christmas Carol, the women are given a chance to break out from their current environment and express themselves. “Surprisingly,” says Mielcarek, “women inmates don’t usually want to be emotional. This opportunity to emote gives the actors a chance to explore feelings in a productive setting.”

As one prisoner/actor said after a previous Shakespeare presentation, “I’ve never felt smart until this moment.” Adds Mielcarek, “This Dickens play is a story of redemption, and that’s powerful for these women.”

During her years working with prisoners through ARC, Mielcarek has learned plenty herself. As she notes, “What has surprised me is how much help inmates need upon their release. We keep in touch with about 70% of the women who are released. And that’s the goal for the future of the program, to help former inmates as well as those currently incarcerated.”

ARC shows such as this abridged version of A Christmas Carol are open to the public, but attendance at this particular reading is no longer available. But Ms. Mielcarek invites everyone to stay in touch with the program’s offerings by going to arcbehindbars.com to join the mailing list.

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