Drama Therapy Collection

Special: Practicing Community Care: Bringing Theory to Practice with Community Fridges 27.01.2026 54min

Send a text Dr. Kelly discusses how theory from disability studies, cultural studies, and intersectional feminism informs their mutual aid work. In particular, she will discuss why she chose to work with her community to start a fridge, how this has assisted in developing community in the area, and ways you can contribute to mutual aid in your area. Dr. Kelly is a lecturing faculty at CSUN in the Communication Studies and Special Education Departments. Her research areas include disability st...

The Ripple Effect of College Prison Programs: Hope, Humanity, and Transformation 27.01.2026 1h 14min

Send a text The Ripple Effect of College Prison Programs explores what becomes possible when higher education enters spaces designed for punishment and isolation. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Taffany Lim, an educator and leader whose work with the Cal State LA Prison Graduation Initiative has helped transform lives and the institutions surrounding them. Dr. Lim’s 2025 Bloomsbury book, The Ripple Effect of College Prison Programs: Hope, Humanity, and Transformation, brings this work t...

Interview With Edwin Cruz 07.05.2025 58min

Send a text Edwin Cruz is a seasoned professional with over seven years of experience in community advocacy, peer support, and program leadership. As a Peer Support Specialist with the State of California, he assisted clients in transitioning between levels of care, setting recovery goals, and managing mental health challenges. Previously, he served as a Support Group Facilitator and Community Advocate, leading initiatives to deter juvenile delinquency and promote rehabilitation through self-...

In This Special Episode: From Drama Therapy to Global Danger—Authoritarianism, Ukraine, and U.S. Complicity 15.04.2025 1h 8min

Send a text In a departure from our usual focus on drama therapy and arts in prison, this special episode confronts an urgent global threat: the rise of authoritarianism and the disturbing shift in U.S. foreign policy toward aligning with Russia against Ukraine. We’re honored to welcome Dr. Marina Levina, a leading voice in media and critical cultural studies, whose research on monstrosity, propaganda, and imperialism sheds light on the silence surrounding Russian colonial violence. In conver...

Interview With Samuel Nathaniel Brown 17.05.2024 43min

Send a text Samuel Nathaniel Brown, a dedicated advocate and former incarcerated individual, spent 24 years challenging the inhumanity of the current prison system. He champions innovative rehabilitation approaches for successful societal reintegration. Sam's incarceration journey exemplifies reentry success, showcasing his unwavering determination and the vital support networks needed for human rights advocacy. During his time in prison, Sam initiated the 10P Program, guiding incarcerated p...

Interview With Joey Pagaduan 17.04.2023 49min

Send a text In 1999, at the age of 18, Joey Pagaduan was sentenced to life in prison. Joey was found suitable by the California Board of Parole Hearings in 2020, but his suitability was unilaterally reversed by Governor Gavin Newsome. Two years later, Joey was found suitable again and, after 23 years, was released on June 30, 2022. Joey is an accomplished actor having played Hamlet, Bottom in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Master Harold in “Master Harold and the Boys,” and many other roles at S...

Special: NYU Drama Therapy Research Symposium 2023 14.04.2023 1h 16min

Send a text This episode is an audio extract of a presentation that took place during the NYU Drama Therapy Research Symposium 2023, hosted by the NYU Program in Drama Therapy and Theatre and Health Lab. View the full video presentation here. Drama Therapy Collection YouTube Channel

Interview With Justin Hong 02.12.2022 49min

Send a text Justin Hong was incarcerated for 14 years where he was a part of California’s first in-person BA degree program in communication studies. It was in prison where he discovered his passion for art and acting and where he performed in several theater programs. Since his release he has earned a BA degree in organizational communication. He lives in Los Angeles where he is a working actor and tattoo artist. Drama Therapy Collection YouTube Channel

Interview With Spoon Jackson Part 2 22.09.2022 41min

Send a text This special episode of drama therapy Collection is on the creative healing work of Spoon Jackson during incarceration. Jackson is a renowned poet and performer serving a life sentence in California. The program is in two parts. Part one is a documentary-presentation by Lynn Baker-Nauman on the healing aspects of Spoon's therapeutic performance in a production of "Waiting for Godot" and his other creative endeavors. This part was presented in 2021 at the annual conference of the E...

Interview With Spoon Jackson Part 1 19.09.2022 22min

Send a text This special episode of drama therapy Collection is on the creative healing work of Spoon Jackson during incarceration. Jackson is a renowned poet and performer serving a life sentence in California. The program is in two parts. Part one is a documentary-presentation by Lynn Baker-Nauman on the healing aspects of Spoon's therapeutic performance in a production of "Waiting for Godot" and his other creative endeavors. This part was presented in 2021 at the annual conference of the ...

Interview With Duncan Martinez 28.07.2022 53min

Send a text Duncan Martinez was part of the first cohort to participate in Cal State LA’s Prison BA initiative. On October 5th he participated in a historic graduation ceremony in Lancaster along with 25 others, an event that was covered by major national and local news media, including LA Times, NPR, CNN, MSNBC, and more. Duncan is highly respected and admired for his achievements by faculty across the department who taught in Lancaster during the past five years. View more of Duncan's work...

Interview With Tue Huynh 01.07.2022 45min

Send a text Tue Huynh is a formerly incarcerated person who participated in theater work while in prison. His interview focuses on his journey from a hesitant participant to someone who gained skills in public speaking and advocacy, defending himself in court and winning his immigration case to stay in the United States upon release. He shares the empathy he experienced for his father while playing the role of a father onstage. He shares, “If I can do acting class, I can do anything else.”(7:...

Interview With Louie Brash 13.06.2022 52min

Send a text Louie Brash, Ensemble Member, Project Re/Frame, is a passionate advocate, artist, and dog trainer. He lives his life with compassion and empathy and has an unflinching belief in the goodness of people. While he was at California State Prison-Lancaster, Louie began developing leadership capacity – promoting, creating, and facilitating numerous self-help classes and participating in numerous theatre workshops. Due to his positive programming, Louie was transferred to the Prog...

Interview With Monica Phinney 03.06.2022 1h 15min

Send a text Monica Phinney is a Registered Drama Therapist who worked with filmmaker Robert Greene, on his latest documentary, Procession (now available on Netflix). Monica specializes in using theatre and roleplay alongside other expressive arts to achieve therapeutic and educational goals. Her past roles include engaging the arts in hospitals, nonprofit organizations, theatres, schools, and most recently on a feature film set. https://www.heartwork.studio/about-us https://www.imdb.c...

Interview With Trung Tong 26.05.2022 36min

Send a text Trung Tong is a formerly-incarcerated person who is currently working as a substance-use counselor with Options Recovery Services. He is an undergraduate student at San Francisco State University majoring in Psychology. During his incarceration, he was a member of Marin Shakespeare Company’s Shakespeare for Social Justice program at Solano State Prison and San Quentin State Prison. Upon parole, he performed with Marin Shakespeare Company’s Returned Citizen Theatre Troupe. In his i...

Interview With Daniel Whitlow 19.05.2022 54min

Send a text Daniel Whitlow is a current graduate student of communication studies who served 22 years in prison—much of it as a juvenile sentenced to life without the possibility of parole (LWOP). In the interview, Whitlow details the profound impact of studying narrative practices and engaging in performance through Narradrama. The Drama Therapy in Prisons Collection can be accessed by the general public at: https://dramatherapyabroad.wixsite.com/dtcollection/drama-therapy-in-prisons New c...

Interview With Juan Carlos Meza 12.05.2022 42min

Send a text Juan Carlos Meza was incarcerated for over 20 years. He talks about his de-humanizing experience and how drama therapy helped him find and express his humanity. It also gave him a chance to help others inside and show them a way to find their humanity by having it be okay to access emotions and share their stories. Through doing Shakespeare with Marin Shakespeare Company and the Parallel Play process, Meza was able to write his own material. Even more importantly for him was being...

Interview With John Bergman 05.05.2022 41min

Send a text John Bergman is an internationally renowned drama therapist, theater worker, Visiting Associate Professor at Hollins University, and the director of The Geese Theater Company. In his interview, he shares about the primal nature of drama therapy. He speaks on the hunger of the people incarcerated for this type of work and that focusing on the whole institution, including the correctional officers, is key. He shares that drama therapy is a great pathway for people who have had chall...

Interview With Stephanie Wichmann 28.04.2022 17min

Send a text Stephanie Wichmann, MSW, LICSW, RDT is on the teaching staff at SoCal Drama Therapy Centre teaching Special Populations with Drama Therapy courses. Stephanie was a NADTA alternative training (AT) drama therapy student, receiving her RDT certification in 2014. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 12 years experience utilizing her professional theater and comedy background as a means of individual/community engagement and therapy. She has worked across the age spectrum...

Interview With Armand Volkas 21.04.2022 32min

Send a text Armand Volkas is a drama therapist who wears many hats. He is also the clinical director of Living Arts Center and the Playback ensemble director. Among many other things, Volkas created Healing the Wounds of History, a drama therapy approach that leads to healing and transformation of intercultural conflicts and intergenerational trauma. When it comes to prison work, he shares a story of being contacted by a public defender to work with an incarcerated person before their trial. ...