open hearts open minds program
Two Rivers Correctional Institution
Men’s prison in Umatilla, Oregon
Two Rivers Theatre
Once a year, this group puts on a production (usually Shakespeare) for other incarcerated adults as well as outside guests.
Dialogue & Writing
This is the program that started it all. Founded in 2006, this group meets weekly to discuss the stories we tell ourselves and how our thinking shapes our lives.
History of the Program
In the Spring of 2005, our founder Johnny Stallings gave two performances of his solo version of Shakespeare’s King Lear at Two Rivers Correctional Institution, a state prison near Umatilla, Oregon. After each performance, he talked with the imprisoned community members in the audience. In the Fall of 2005, he gave two performances of Silence, and in the Spring of 2006, he gave two performances of Hamlet. The discussions after the shows were so extraordinary and at the request of the men in the circle, Johnny proposed to the prison administration that he facilitate weekly dialogues with the incarcerated population.
With financial support from Jerry Smith and the Jerry & Donna Smith Family Foundation, in July of 2006, Johnny began regularly facilitating weekly dialogues.
Spotlights
Although Scott was a longtime patron of the arts, he never imagined himself on-stage – until he was sent to prison in 2010. There, as he tried to fill his time, he found a Two Rivers Theatre poster advertising an inmate production of ‘Twelfth Night,’ by William Shakespeare. After an affirming opening night, Scott was hooked. He went on to participate in, organize, and even produce numerous plays during his incarceration.
Dick Willis, facilitator of the Two Rivers Dialogue Program and long-time OHOM volunteer
“I’ve been an advocate for those in difficult situations pretty much all my adult life, beginning half a century ago in Vietnam. While I’m no warrior my year there was a lab course in human behavior under stress. That course was imperfect and troublesome to be sure. And yet…
I learned that through patience, compassion, focus and humor I can establish a supportive relationship with someone who is experiencing pain or trauma or depression. My motto through all my adult years has been simply, ‘Ease their way.'”
Dick Willis also runs an emerging mentoring program “The Path”, an open resource for anyone experiencing barriers to a variety of life’s needs.
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