Deer Ridge inmates become castmates in dramatic play

Inmates are becoming castmates at Deer Ridge Correctional Institution in Madras. A group of prisoners are practicing to take center stage in a performance this summer of a classic drama about a jury debating a suspect’s guilt or innocence.

“This is a prison environment, so you’re kind of being one way,” inmate Shaman Miller said Thursday. “You’re talking a certain way, and people are used to seeing you a certain way. So when you step out of that, and all of a sudden your image is (someone who’s acting), it can be a little bit like, ‘Man, people are going to see me, and maybe I’m vulnerable,'” inmate Shaman Miller said Thursday.

Still, Miller and his acting troupe are all in.

Fellow inmate LaBoyce Ross said, “We practice twice a week, Thursdays and Fridays, for about 2 1/2 hours or so, and any time I get time outside of our practice, I’m practicing as well.”

The production is an adaptation of “12 Angry Men.” It’s about the deliberation of a seemingly open-and-shut murder case. The convicted actors play the judge and jury.

“It was very ironic, actually,” Ross said.

For him, the role offers both transformation and an escape.

“Doing this, it’s like you’re not even here. You know? You come to play rehearsal, and we forget about where we are sometimes,” he said.

This performance is a partnership with Central Oregon Community College. COCC offers inmates educational opportunities, with various courses, including a GED test prep class and a welding program.

And for those involved in the play, the lessons don’t need to happen in a classroom.

“It really pushes you out of your comfort zone,” Miller said. “It really forces you to engage and be social.”

And when he takes the stage, it’ll also offer something else.

“When I first heard we were going to wear suits, I was emotional, because I have not worn anything other than this (prison) outfit for such a long time, so many years. It’s exciting, but a little bit like, ‘Wow, this is also tied to the outside world.'”

These two separate worlds will meet this July, with performances on the 14th and 15th at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but audience members must be 18 years or older and complete a background check by Wednesday, May 30.

To attend, contact Lani Sykes at (541) 504-2901 or lsykes@cocc.edu.