Conspire Theatre

Mission and Vision

Our mission is to offer incarcerated women and their allies a healing and empowering experience through theatre and creative writing.

Our vision is that every woman realizes her potential as a creative, worthy being.

History

Conspire Theatre is a sponsored project of the Austin Creative Alliance, a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Our first project was a five week theatre workshop in Travis County Correctional Facility (Del Valle, Texas) with women inmates. We played games, created scenes, wrote poems and monologues, and ended the project with a performance for other inmates and staff. Katherine Craft and Meg Brooker were the co-facilitators. Katherine Craft was so inspired by the project that she founded Conspire Theatre and will continue to work with incarcerated and marginalized women, both at Travis County Correctional Facility and elsewhere.

Recent Blog Entries...

Hope v. Reality

April 13, 2012

whitney-houston

Just a few weeks before the news lit up with stories of Whitney Houston’s life and death, I had read in a letter from someone that an acquaintance of ours had died of a heroin overdose. While my mind instantly pulled out the “ that can’t be, someone just saw him a few days/weeks/months ago” denial speech. I knew logically that it wasn’t far fetched. No surprise here. He is not the first, and unfortunately unlikely to be the last. I can think of at least four funerals off the top of my head that I have been to which were celebrating lives that were taken way too soon, and in some way drug related. While I have never heard of an incident of someone overdosing on methamphetamine, I do know people who have gotten shot because of someone using it. Sleep deprivation and chemical cocktails make for unhappy endings. … Continue reading

March Inside Out Workshop Canceled

March 14, 2012

Conspire Logo

Our March workshop this Saturday the 17th has been canceled. Nothing to worry about – we’ll be back and ready to play on April 21st. Michelle and Kat have come to the startling realization that they are just two women (as opposed to fourteen, like they thought), and they are currently organizing and planning so they can charge through the rest of the year with energy and enthusiasm. We hope to see everyone again in April!    

Love and Money

February 27, 2012

Money in a Heart

Another holiday season has come and gone. This year I had the chance to notice something, and not for the first time. I see how we attach our own value to money, belongings and gifts both on the receiving and giving ends. It was easier to see and call out as ridiculous in my roommate, of course but that made me look in the mirror and reevaluate. My roommate was raised by parents who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, whose religion requires that they not celebrate Birthdays, Christmas, etc. So my friend never had the Christmas experience that so many of us grew up with and does not observe those practices as an adult. She admittedly tries to make up for what she feels she missed out on. She buys an outrageous amount of presents for her children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews etc. Her sister does the same thing. She has gone … Continue reading

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