The Incarcerated Mass

Wayfarer Theaters, in collaboration with Theatre Y and James Gibson on the lands, present a potent documentary, The Incarcerated Mass, which documents the miraculous symbiotic recovery that transpires between Melissa Lorraine and the Inside Ensemble, a group of men sentenced to die behind bars. When Melissa, the Co-Founding Artistic Director of Theatre Y, survived abduction and predatory sexual assault in 2017, her world collapsed. She was dissociated from her own body, rendering her unable to work. Although extensive movement therapy set her repair in motion, Melissa nonetheless harbored a new and paralyzing fear of men. In order to become whole again, she had to draw closer to her fears. In 2018, she began offering movement therapy for trauma rehabilitation at Stateville Correctional Facility. The Incarcerated Mass makes a surprising case for abolition from the most unlikely voice: the victim of a violent crime who learned she needed the felon's healing to complete her own. Following the private screening on April 13th @ 4PM, join us for a live music presentation of James Gibson's - "Mama, Can you hear me?" and a Q & A with the film’s creative team. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for seniors and students.documentaryPT1H30Mnr2025-04-13

Members of Theatre Y's Incarcerated Mass: Michael Sullivan

Johnny Taylor

Robert Curry

Benny Rios Donjuan

Raul Dorado

Joseph Dole

Darrell Fair

Antonio Kendrick

Eric Watkins

Michael Bell

Reginald BoClair

Juan Luna

Daniel Perkins

Steven Ramirez

Lonnie Smith

Charles Hill

DeCedrick Walker

Rodney Love

Robert John

William Jones

Carlvosier Smith

Alberto Zavala

Ryan Miller

Tyrone Brewer Jr.

Devon Terrell

Todd Smith

and Jimmy Soto (now Liberated)! Piano and vocals by Demetrius Cunningham - “Change is Coming” and “Mama

Can you hear me?” by James Gibson. About James Gibson still onthelands: a Chicago native son

James is the first American ever ruled to be a victim of torture by any American court. He spent nearly 30 years behind bars after being wrongfully convicted of a crime he didn’t commit. James seeks to channel positivity through teaching others. With the help of young people

he has recently released the inspirational song ”Mama

Can You Hear Me?” through 3ZMusic House

and will also share his latest track "Torture" on April 13th. In addition to his experience in music

books

films

and business

James has his very own Foundation. James is a Bahá'i and has always been passionate about sharing his message of perseverance to embrace our differences and spread love and kindness in our society because he was born different and that’s okay.

Director/Editor/Producer/Activist Melissa Lorraine is the Artistic Director of Theatre Y in Chicago. Born in France and a graduate of Northern Illinois University with a degree in acting

Lorraine became a company member of Studio K in Budapest

Hungary. This experience led her to co-found Theatre Y in 2006 with Director Christopher Markle. For 19 years

Theatre Y has been a point of convergence for diverse activisms and all of the uncomfortable conversations that result. An all-ages ensemble and award-winning FREE theater on Chicago's West Side

Melissa fosters a community committed to participating in people’s lives in ways that matter

here and now. Theatre Y serves to manifest imagined realities

claiming global citizenship to better understand our shared humanity. In addition to working with fresh and seasoned talent

Theatre Y also illuminates buried talent: working with incarcerated men who have rehabilitated themselves

obtained multiple degrees inside

and work tirelessly to re-humanize our punitive justice system through artivism. Director/Editor/Cinematographer Justin Jones is a documentary filmmaker and photographer living and working in Chicago. Drawing inspiration from both Cinéma Vérité and rock ‘n roll photography

Justin shoots with a lens that is relationship-oriented

experiential

and held at an intimate distance. He seeks out characters who live on the fringe

and strives to tell stories through the in-between moments. He believes that movement is a catalyst for authentic expression. Justin studied at Michigan Technological University and DePaul University and is a frequent collaborator with Theatre Y. Editor/Cinematographer Alex Morelli is a filmmaker and editor based in Chicago

IL. Drawing on both experimental and documentary traditions

his work often examines how people make home

resist carceral barriers

and tell stories about family and community. His films have been supported by the Flies Collective

the LEF Foundation

and the MacDowell Fellowship. In 2022

Filmmaker Magazine named him one of 25 New Faces of Independent Film.

Theatre Y: a 19-year-old international community that is continuously re-thinking the ritual of theater as a revolutionary practice

employing radical hospitality

vulnerability

and confrontation as tools of liberation.

The Incarcerated Mass"The Incarcerated Mass"

Showtimes

April 13, 4:00 pm