The Judy Dworin Performance Project is a company of performing artists who, on stage and in the community, seek to innovate, inspire, educate and collaborate as they engage in art making rooted in the belief that the arts can be a powerful agent for change.

They premiered their lastest piece, Dreamings on April 2, 2009. It was created during an arts-based residency at York Correctional Institution for women in Niantic, CT. Dreamings played to a sold out crowd, thunderous applause, standing ovation and a talk back which lasted almost as long as the performance.

Carli Beatty is a former inmate, now living in a half-way house (due to be paroled in June) was granted permission to be part of the public performances. She performed in Dreamings while she was in prison. After she was transfered to a halfway house she was able to remain a part of the Judy Dworin Performance Project . This allowed her to perform with the company in the public performances This was a first for Connecticut. Last night Carli was terrific as were the other formerly incarcerated women, daughter and sister of inmates who joined the company. The uniquness of this piece is that it was created inside prison but added individuals previously incarcerated and their family members into the public performances.

Listen to the radio interview here.

DVDs of the public performances of Dreamings will be avaialble for purchased through the Judy Dworin Performance Project’s website.