Wednesday, October 28, 1998
Incarcerated young teens wreak impressive ‘Havoc’
THEATER: Troubled Souls Productions director puts promising film
career on hold to develop plays starring at-risk adolescents
By Louise Chu
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
The star-studded studios of Hollywood have always been a dream
that takes a lot of hard work, persistence and opportunity.
But Eric McGinnis finds himself far from this lifelong vision.
Instead, he is catering to one far more fulfilling than anything on
the silver screen.
For the past five years, McGinnis has diverted a promising
screenwriting and producing career (he was the 1994 recipient of
the Guy Alexander Hanks/Marcus Miller Screenwriting Program
Fellowship, a writing program supported by Bill Cosby and USC’s
film school) to work with young people from juvenile court and
community schools. The Los Angeles native began as a substitute
teacher at Central Juvenile Hall, eventually incorporating his
artistic background into his work.
He established Troubled Souls Productions, a production company
devoted to making plays involving incarcerated young people as
actors.
"We call them ‘youth at risk’ because they’re in jeopardy of
dropping out of society," explains Patricia Levinson from the
Pacific division of the Principal’s Administrative Unit. She
oversees the young people who are working in the production. "These
are kids that have not been successful in school. (Most of them)
have not been successful socially, except in a gang
orientation."
Also coming from a childhood affected by violence and gangs,
McGinnis uses this common bond to relate to the teenagers, who
range from 15 to 18 years old. Many face an average of 25 years to
life in prison. It is ultimately their rapport that makes the
production a success.
His latest theatrical effort is "Havoc," which opens at the Los
Angeles Theater Center on Thursday. He wrote, produced and directed
the play about "a modern-day Frankenstein who searches for, finds
and confronts the writer who created him," says McGinnis, and
demands to know why he was created to be evil. The piece addresses
the media’s glorification of negative images and its effect on
society.
Despite the existence of this artistic medium, it is often
difficult to accustom these youths to theater as an outlet for
their emotions.
"Initially, they do it because they think they’ll get out of
school," Levinson says. "Then they do it because they know that
they’re getting better. And then they do it for (McGinnis). And
then they do it for themselves, which is where we want to go."
Their evolution does not come easily. Both director and actor
must first overcome personal obstacles to achieve a good working
relationship.
"They’ll take risks with their lives, but it’s hard for them to
risk their emotions," Levinson observes.
McGinnis agrees but looks beyond the first impression. "There
can be animosity, there can be apprehension at first, but as we
work together, we open up to each other, and it always becomes a
family environment."
He finds that the key to fostering such relationships is
respect. Despite their troubled pasts, the writer refuses to ignore
their individual contributions and ideas. McGinnis includes his
cast in script changes and direction for the play, but he is also
clear about his expectations of them as actors.
"We’re close, but I’m very demanding, so there are times when I
might be very upset, and I let them know it," McGinnis says. "I
don’t hide what I am. I just put it all on the table. I expect the
same from them."
Hardened by their difficult lives, many of the teenagers have
problems relating to adults and expressing themselves artistically.
Through his plays, McGinnis encourages them to open up in different
ways. On the stage, the relevant subject matter that he writes
about draw their interest, and off the stage, they support one
another in their everyday issues.
"(Our time) is more of a counseling period," McGinnis says.
"It’s not about me counseling; they may counsel me. There are times
when I’m down, and they help me out. The relationship is two-fold.
It’s a true relationship."
The camaraderie also extends among the teenagers themselves. In
the five years that McGinnis has been creating these plays, many
have gone through the program, and some hold on to their
experience, even after they return to prison. McGinnis points out
that some current actors have written to veteran actors in prison
to exchange ideas about their roles.
Levinson says, "We should never say that just because they’re
‘at risk,’ they can’t do this or they can’t do that. That’s a bad
assumption to start with. It’s just a matter of getting the
catalyst, and Eric is certainly the catalyst – the creative drive
behind this particular project."
The project is not only an emotional exercise but also an
academic experience. McGinnis introduces in thought-provoking
works, both classical and modern, including Shakespeare, to his
reluctant students and watches them gradually make it their own. He
challenges them with complex dialogue and rigorous rehearsals.
"I wish I had tapes from the beginning to now because … to see
a girl who could not even read or articulate the lines of Julius
Caesar … To see her tackle these lines now and to be so dominant
with it …," McGinnis conveys in an excited tone.
His success has put him in the role of mentor for these young
people, but he emphasizes that he does not intend to strictly mold
them. Rather, he prefers to guide them in making critical decisions
that would change in their future what they failed to accomplish in
the past.
"People ask me all the time about how I change (the kids). It’s
not my agenda to change them," McGinnis insists. "All I’m trying to
do is help them refocus their agenda.
"I want them to still be who they are … The environment you
come from is important, but it’s how you use those rich experiences
to motivate you into being better than you are."
According to McGinnis and Levinson, the response to his work has
all been positive, whether from audiences or administrators.
They say that they have met little opposition because those
involved all believe that the young people deserve a chance to
explore their options.
"I don’t let the title ‘at risk’ inhibit what we do," McGinnis
says. "We do great work, period."
As he prepares his actors in rehearsals for "Havoc," he realizes
that his celluloid dreams will be put off at least another
year.
"I don’t want anything to dictate what I do, and right now, I’m
focusing on these kids," McGinnis says. "I’ve always dreamed of
being in Hollywood. I’ve always dreamed of creating films for
people. I’ve spent countless hours preparing myself for that. But
this is where I am now, and I’ll just let God handle it."
THEATER: "Havoc" opens at the Los Angeles Theater Center on Oct.
29 and runs for two days. Admission is free. For more information,
call (213) 637-3161.DAVID PERRY
Eric McGinnis is the writer and producer of "Havoc."
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