Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Q&A with Michael Reyes of 'Crime Against Humanity'

"Crime against Humanity" is a play based on the real life experiences of 14 Puerto Rican political prisoners who spent more than two decades in prisons for seditious conspiracy -- two of whom are still incarcerated. Written by poet and activist, Michael Anthony Reyes Benavides and former Puerto Rican political prisoner Luis Rosa, the play brings us into the U.S. prison system and the experiences of these prisoners for more than 27 years. The New York Premiere of the play is this Friday at Hostos Community College in the Bronx. PRSUN contributing writer Ismael Nunez talks to Michael Reyes.


Q. How did you come up with the name “Crime Against Humanity”?

A. “Crime Against Humanity” has two meanings. The first is that the United Nations states its a crime against humanity to have a colony, and Puerto Rico is still a colony of the United States. Also, prison is a crime against a person’s humanity. All of the
prisoners kept referencing the issue of maintaining
and holding onto their humanity, so it was an organic
choice to select the title. It just kept coming up.

Q. Why did you co-write the play with former political prisoner Luis Rosa?
A. True. Luis had a very similar idea when we
visited Puerto Rico and we decided to create it
together. Since his idea was more about a day of a prisoner and my ideas were about years, we fused the ideas to create the play. He was a big help in the entire process because he was coming from a space that experienced prison as a political
prisoner.

Q. You were given the opportunity to interview Oscar Lopez Rivera and Carlos Alberto Torres. Did you get a chance to interview Haydee Beltran as well?
A. Haydee Beltran has made it clear that she does not
want to be included in any of the campaign materials and such, so I fully respect that decision. Since this play is to further the campaign to free them, I did not attempt to include her.

Q. The play pulls no punches. Why did you decide to leave the profanity and nudity?
A. Yes, it was the only way we could present it honestly and truthfully. I decided to go all out with it, so I wanted to show the true brutality of the prison industrial complex and the only way to do that was to reflect the truth.

Q. Did you write this play before the clemency by President Bill Clinton to release some of the prisoners in 1999?
A. No, this play is less than a year old, so it’s really in its infancy.

Q. Would you say this is a educational play?
A. It deals with the issue of political prisoners. It is an issue the legal system never mentions. That's the reason it was created to educate
and spread a message that shows the truth about the United States and the issue of political prisoners and prisoners of war. With this play, we can reach thousands of people in a different way. It has been a great tool.

Q. What has been the response of the other Puerto Rican political prisoners toward the play?
A. Mostly they love the production and are grateful. Almost all of the prisoners that have seen it say it is a very accurate dramatization of their experience. Ninety percent is their actual words and that's what I wanted to do. I wanted to tell their story, so they really enjoy it. As hard as it is for them sometimes, they have been very supportive.

Q. What type of feedback have you received from this play so far?
A. People love it. But the most important thing for me is that the Puerto Rican community loves it. That's who we are speaking to and so that’s who is important. If other people get something out of it, then we have truly created something special. The play does speak to everyone that has to struggle to maintain humanity. For now, we are happy spreading the word through the many communities we reach. And I hope we do get to write a sequel, which will be based on the rest of the prisoners coming home and telling the story of that
journey. – Ismael Nunez

For more information, click on image for larger text or visit www.crimeagainsthumanity.net.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Message from the Cast and Crew of Crime Against Humanity:

After performing to over 5000 people throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico, Crime Against Humanity returns to its home venue in Chicago. The play has been featured in venues throughout the Midwest, the East Coast, and Puerto Rico. Crime Against Humanity, a National Boricua Human Rights Network and Teatro Batey Urbano production, begins a second Chicago run Friday February 6 at Batey Urbano (2620 W. Division) and will run every Friday and Saturday at 7pm throughout the month of February. Special addition! Urban Theater Company will be joining Teatro Batey cast members. The play will also kick of its Midwest tour in March and is scheduled to return to New York, Puerto Rico, Philadelphia, Boston and Hartford for monthly runs in 2009.
The cast and crew of Crime against Humanity would like to truly thank every person that helped make 2008 east coast tour a success. We were happy to see so many people come out to the production at Hostos Center for Arts and Culture in the Bronx New York, Taller Puertorriqueño in Philadelphia, La Paloma Sabanera in Hartford, Lawrence Community Works in Lawrence MA, St. Andrew's Coffee Shop in Boston, and The Freedom School in Albany.

We are confident that with our radio interviews, news coverage, printed articles and internet promotion we reached millions of people. Through this production we hoped to contribute like so many before us to the freedom of our political prisoners and in turn the freedom of our nation. The play is just one tool in that struggle.

We thank every the press, and all of the organizations that spread the word to their list serves and contact lists, as well as thank every individual that passed out flyers printed and placed posters. Also, we thank those that housed us, fed us and shared their homes, and their spaces with us and all those who attended our performances, some leaving a few dollars, others giving hundreds. We greatly appreciate every person that organized a performance in his or her city or town. Thank you to the venues and all of those that gave their time to make sure our tour was a success.

As we head toward 2009 we should remember that this year will mark the 10th anniversary of freedom for 11 of our former political prisoners. We hope the play is just one of many tools that will help us reflect on that victory and will help us focus on the great challenge ahead. We are asking that in the spirit of this historic year we find ways to remember and activate people in the spirit of justice, equality and freedom for our remaining political prisoners.

As part of our national campaign to free the remaining Puerto Rican political prisoners we are asking that April 4, which is the 29th anniversary of their capture, be a day of commemoration. We would like organizations, individuals, and communities to hold an event in the spirit of resistance against US colonialism in Puerto Rico and for the release of the remaining Puerto Rican political prisoners. On behalf of the Crime Against Humanity's cast and crew we hope to see yet another successful year toward the freedom of our prisoners.

For those interested, contact National Boricua Human Rights Network: info@boricuahumanrights.org.



Fresh off of its New York premier and East Coast tour the fiercely innovative play Crime Against Humanity returns to Chicago!

Crime Against Humanity 2nd Chicago Run
Joined by Urban Theater Company
Every Friday and Saturday in the month of February
Batey Urbano
2620 W. Division
6:30pm
$5 (student) $10 (general)
for more info go to crimeagainsthumanity.net
--
Michael Anthony Reyes Benavides
773/ 606 4014
reyespoetry@gmail.com
reyespoetry.com