'The Castle' Gives Performance for Corrections Officers

By popular demand, the cast of the Off-Broadway play, "The Castle", has been invited to give a special performance before a group of New York State Corrections Officers on Wednesday evening, July 16th  at 8:00 p.m.  at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street).  Presented by Eric Krebs and Chase Mishkin, "The Castle" presents a searing, first-hand look at the lives of four formerly incarcerated New Yorkers and their re-entry into society.  Following a successful world premiere at its namesake venue earlier this year, "The Castle" transferred to New World Stages where it begin performances on March 30th where it will continue through August 30th.

The cast most recently gave a command performance before the New York State Legislators in Albany at the request of New York State Senator Thomas Duane. This spring they returned to  Rikers Island where they performed before inmates and corrections officers.

"The Castle" is conceived and directed by David Rothenberg and written in collaboration with – and performed by – Vilma Ortiz Donovan, Kenneth Harrigan, Angel Ramos and Casimiro Torres, all of whom tell their own real-life stories.

"The Castle", an imposing upper west side residential facility for the formerly incarcerated, was opened (and is maintained) by  The Fortune Society, a non-profit organization that helps put men and women, recently emerged from prison, on their re-entry into society.  The organization was established by Mr. Rothenberg following the success of the 1967 Off-Broadway production of the play, Fortune and Men's Eyes (itself, a play about a young man's experience in a youth detention center).

"Fortune Society, "The Castle' and now this play, "The Castle", came into being because of another play from years ago," said Rothenberg.  "This piece of theater has a natural power all its own, because the stories being told belong to the people telling them."

"The Castle" plays the Saturdays at 5:00 p.m. at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street).  Tickets are $30 & $45 and are available at the New World Stages box office or via Telecharge (212-239-6200) / Telecharge.com.                                          

The Fortune Society is a not-for-profit, community-based organization dedicated to educating the public about prisons, criminal justice issues, and the root causes of crime. Staffed primarily by ex-prisoners, the organization helps former inmates and at-risk youth break the cycle of crime and incarceration through a broad range of services.  The Fortune Society works to improve prison conditions and protect the rights of prisoners by providing the foundation from which new lives can be launched.

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