Performed at the Resilience Festival October 2025 Sponsored by The Mud Theater Project and the Chicago Torture Justice Center Ft. Mariano "Nano" Arrelano, Brooke Pearl, Kosi Achife, Victoria Cruz, Alexia Atter “Glow,” a play written by incarcerated playwright Jesse Martinez. “Glow” underscores the challenges that families with loved ones who are incarcerated face and how they navigate them. Part of Still Point Theatre Collectives' Playwright From The Inside Reading Series, featuring the staged readings of transformative work written by men incarcerated at the Dixon Correctional Center. The men who were part of the DCC's Dixon Writing Workshop went on to start The Mud Theatre Project, who we are grateful to collaborate with!

Performed at the Resilience Festival October 2025 Sponsored by The Mud Theater Project and the Chicago Torture Justice Center Mud Theatre’s nationally recognized plays are written and performed by incarcerated persons and returning citizens. Their director, Brian Beals, having served thirty-five years on a wrongful conviction, was inspired to create Mud Theatre Project as he witnessed the power of the arts to give voice to the voiceless and empower those who have been in troubling situations. Mud Theatre is an outgrowth of the Dixon Correctional Center Performing Arts Program, which Brian also founded in 2018. Under Brian’s guidance, the Dixon Performing Arts Program won multiple PEN America National Prison Writing Awards. Jabril’s Chains, Mud Theatre’s newest play, tells the story of seventeen-year-old Jabril, who was convicted of a murder he did not commit. Nine years into his bit, Jabril is a man now, as well as a father, poet, activist, and an inspiration to his younger brother. A court date for Jabril’s appeal has finally been set. Can he use the wisdom his cellie, Old Head Ed, has bestowed upon him about the system to beat it? This production was an expansion of Still Point Theater Collective's PLAYWRIGHTS FROM THE INSIDE READING SERIES Written By: Brian Beals and The Dixon Writing Workshop Filmed and edited by: Pentimenti Productions Kevin Patterson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Actor 1/Jabril Sharon Miles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Actor 2/Mama Rashaad Bond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Actor 3/Ken Ken Yoel Davis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Actor 4/Old Head Ed Darius Franklin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Actor 5/Mr. Smith Mariah Greer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Actor 6/Kenya Greene Charls Hall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Actor 7/Old School Terreon Collins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Actor 8/Beatman/Sheriff Production Kevin Aoussou. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director Brian Beals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Playwright Isabeau Pogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stage Manager Daphne Agosin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Set Design and Lighting Design Eme Ospina-López. . . . . . . . . . Sound Design and Production Design Dusty Buyck . . . . . . . . . Assistant Set Designer and Scenic Carpenter

Performed at the Resilience Festival October 2025 Sponsored by The Mud Theater Project and the Chicago Torture Justice Center Mud Theatre’s nationally recognized plays are written and performed by incarcerated persons and returning citizens. Their director, Brian Beals, having served thirty-five years on a wrongful conviction, was inspired to create Mud Theatre Project as he witnessed the power of the arts to give voice to the voiceless and empower those who have been in troubling situations. Mud Theatre is an outgrowth of the Dixon Correctional Center Performing Arts Program, which Brian also founded in 2018. Under Brian’s guidance, the Dixon Performing Arts Program won multiple PEN America National Prison Writing Awards. Jabril’s Chains, Mud Theatre’s newest play, tells the story of seventeen-year-old Jabril, who was convicted of a murder he did not commit. Nine years into his bit, Jabril is a man now, as well as a father, poet, activist, and an inspiration to his younger brother. A court date for Jabril’s appeal has finally been set. Can he use the wisdom his cellie, Old Head Ed, has bestowed upon him about the system to beat it? This production was an expansion of Still Point Theater Collective's PLAYWRIGHTS FROM THE INSIDE READING SERIES Written By: Brian Beals and The Dixon Writing Workshop Filmed and edited by: Pentimenti Productions Kevin Patterson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Actor 1/Jabril Sharon Miles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Actor 2/Mama Rashaad Bond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Actor 3/Ken Ken Yoel Davis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Actor 4/Old Head Ed Darius Franklin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Actor 5/Mr. Smith Mariah Greer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Actor 6/Kenya Greene Charls Hall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Actor 7/Old School Terreon Collins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Actor 8/Beatman/Sheriff Production Kevin Aoussou. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director Brian Beals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Playwright Isabeau Pogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stage Manager Daphne Agosin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Set Design and Lighting Design Eme Ospina-López. . . . . . . . . . Sound Design and Production Design Dusty Buyck . . . . . . . . . Assistant Set Designer and Scenic Carpenter

A young man fresh out of prison struggles to get a job and mend his relationship with his single-parent father. However, his alter ego, who only he can see, tries to convince him to go back to his old street hustler lifestyle. 00:00:00 - Problem With the World is Me 00:58:45 - Audience Questions & Reflections