inspired by dathonie pinto's forthcoming memoir, and other stories developed by herstory writers workshop
March 2017 in Manhattan and Port Washington, Long Island
An emotionally-charged song cycle that shares gripping stories about youth incarceration -- first as personal narratives presented by people directly affected by the issue, and then as raw, potent original songs adapted from the stories themselves. This is a special collaboration between the talented The Songwriter's Orchestra and Herstory Writers Workshop, an organization that helps incarcerated people write down their stories. Poignant but ultimately empowering, Chains Don’t Rattle Themselves seeks to break through barriers of judgment and mobilize audiences to take direct action supporting the Raise The Age NY campaign for youth criminal justice reform in New York State.
Read more in this article by Alex for The Clyde Fitch Report!
Original songs written/performed by: Brinae Ali (Shuffle Along), singer/songwriter Olivia Harris, Zhailon Levingston (iLLA), John-Michael Lyles (Barrow Street’s Sweeney Todd), Taylor Simone (of Jazze Belle), Britton Smith (Shuffle Along), and Allison Strong (Mamma Mia)
Autobiographical stories read by Dathonie Pinto and Anjelique Wadlington
Conceived/co-produced by Alex Hare, Olivia Harris, and Solomon Hoffman
Arrangements and orchestrations by Solomon Hoffman
Directed by Alex Hare
