Dramatic Escape

Thursday, December 7 at 6:30 pm.

View the Dramatic Escape trailer

Watch the post-screening panel discussion

This screening was sponsored by:

Our Panelists:

Clarence Maclin
Youth Counselor
Lincoln Hall/Lincondale, NY
Alumni, Sing Sing Production of A Few Good Men

Clarence, aka Divine I, was born November 29, 1965, and raised in Mt Vernon, NY. On October 5, 1995, he was arrested for armed robbery. Clarence lived his early years in prison as he had on the streets – angry and bitter. In his sixth year, he was approached by a member of Rehabilitation Through The Arts (RTA) about participating in its theater, art, music, writing and dance program. Clarence joined RTA as “a way out of his misery” and completely immersed himself in the program. In 2003, he made his debut as Juror #5 in Twelve Angry Men. The following year he played Booster in August Wilson’s Jitney and went on to play leading roles in many other productions.

During this time, Clarence earned an Associate’s Degree in Behavioral Psychology from Mercy College. In 2010, Goldcrest Films began filming a documentary about the staging of RTA’s Sing Sing production of A Few Good Men. The story of Clarence’s transformation from a self-described “thug in the yard” to respected community leader emerged as one of the film’s main stories, and his release from prison during the course of filming heightened the drama.

 

Lorraine Moller
Associate Professor in Communication & Theatre – John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Director of the Sing Sing play “A Few Good Men” featured in “Dramatic Escape”

Lorraine is a tenured professor at John Jay College and has conducted research that can explain the role the arts play in corrections. Moller first became involved with prison education through the college program at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility where she co-chaired the first Net of Souls Concert (1997) which increased awareness of the need for Higher Education in Prison and helped to bring college back to the Bedford Hills facility.

She is also credited with co-planning the first prison art exhibit at the Northern Westchester Center for the Arts.  Moller’s published work spans the spectrum from prison theatre to the filmic depiction of spousal relationships. She is a recipient of several PSC-CUNY grants and private foundation awards. A three-time graduate of New York University, Dr. Moller earned her BFA from Tisch School of the Arts in theater, and her graduate and doctoral degrees in educational theater and communication arts, respectively. She is part of the original team of founders of Rehabilitation through the Arts (RTA), a program operating in five New York State Prisons.

 

Elias Alcantara
Founder, and CEO, Bronx Element Strategies (BESt)

Elias Alcantara is the founder and CEO of Bronx Element Strategies (BESt), a social impact and justice strategy consulting firm. Through BESt, he advises private, philanthropic and public sector organizations across the country to sustain social justice reform. In early 2017, he joined Columbia University’s Center for Justice as a Fellow.

Previously, Elias served in the Obama White House as Senior Associate Director in the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs. During his five year tenure at the White House, Alcantara was President Obama’s liaison to local elected officials, serving as a primary interface to mayors, county, and local officials across the country. During this time, he established and managed strategic partnerships with local and national leaders on key policies including immigration reform, workforce development, and criminal justice reform with a focus on policing and reentry.

Elias is a graduate of Lehman College of the City University of New York (CUNY) and completed coursework for a Master of Arts in International Affairs at the Universidad de Chile. He is originally from the Bronx, New York where he currently resides.