INTERVIEW: ‘Unconfined’ explores issues of rehabilitation, incarceration, humanity
Photo: Unconfined was written by and stars Liz Richardson. Photo courtesy of 59E59 / Provided by the official website.
The new play Unconfined, written by and starring Liz Richardson, follows the true story of a man who spent 18 years on death row, a time period in his life that saw him become a painter and spiritualist, according to press notes. In the show, Richardson portrays three characters who were impacted by this man and his outreach work: a painter, professor and fellow prisoner.
Unconfined, produced by the Canadian theater company Kazan Co-Op, is directed by Ed Thomason and runs through Dec. 22 at 59E59 Theaters in Midtown Manhattan. The 65-minute solo piece asks profound and difficult questions about incarceration, capital punishment, redemption and forgiveness.
Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Richardson, whose previous solo work is called Going On. She is a frequent presence on stage and in film and TV. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.
What did day one look like for Unconfined? What inspired you to put pen to paper and create this play?
Day one was when I received a binder of beautiful drawings, poetry and letters from a prisoner on death row. After many years as a Buddhist practitioner myself, I was inspired to share the surprising wisdom and compassion he developed in prison through his own study and meditation. Then, when I began interviewing many people who knew him, both inside and outside prison, I was moved by how deeply he had affected them.
Are you a believer that redemption is possible and that people can change?
Absolutely, that is what the show is about.
Do you understand the position some people take that certain actions are so horrific that it’s difficult to talk about forgiveness?
Of course, I understand this possibility, but this situation is not about a personal philosophy or belief. He wasn’t trying to prove anything to anyone. The only people he asked for forgiveness were the three people he killed. He had deep remorse for committing a crime that he didn’t remember. He never blamed anyone or claimed he was not guilty. He took on the burden of what he had done and transformed himself into a good human being. Other people fought for his clemency, which he was ambivalent about.
Is there a trust factor that you explore in the play? For example, is it possible to truly know if someone has changed?
Yes, this is major theme of the play. The three characters each go through their individual journeys of trust and questioning his authenticity and their own motivations and pre-conceptions about him. It might not be possible to prove his authenticity using conventional methods of data, measurement and rationality, but there is no doubt that if someone observing him had their own wisdom of intuitive sensitivity, his authenticity would be obvious to them.
With such a heavy topic, do you have to come up for a breath and practice self-care to deal with the weight of these issues?
I’ve been practicing meditation for most of my adult life.
What’s it like working with director Ed Thomason?
Ed and I both share a classical English theatre training. We were able to work together beautifully developing the script for several years because of the pandemic. I personally have never had such a harmonious creative relationship. On the practical side, Ed is a professional director and has run his own theatres, so directing was a natural evolution for us.
As an actor do you need to respect the role of also being the writer? For example, some people might say you have greater license to change the script or improvise because you’re also the writer, but do you try to honor both roles?
I do honor both roles, but they are very separate for me. I trust the script implicitly and memorize it just as I would if there were a different writer.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Unconfined, written by and starring Liz Richardson, continues through Dec. 22 at 59E59 Theaters in New York City. Click here for more information and tickets.
