The Limon Correctional Facility offenders present "The Last Café at the End of the World"

By Catherine Thurston

Last Saturday, offenders at the Limon Correctional Facility presented The Last Café at the End of the World in collaboration with Action Change Theater Ensemble and Grapefruit Lab. This original play, created and performed entirely by individuals who are currently incarcerated, marks a significant artistic achievement.

According to the directors—Janet Feder, Madalyne Heiken, and Julie Rada—the production took over two years to bring to life. As stated in the program, “This is a play about change. About coming together across differences. About the messy, magnificent human spirit.”

The production explored themes of redemption, humanity, and hope through poetry, original music, vocals, and more. Some of the most poignant moments in the performance included reflections on things that are missed, regrets over past words, and the various longings and dreams of the actors. The portrayal of the Seven Deadly Sins through lyrical dance was another powerful element, offering deep insights into the human condition. These moments not only revealed the depth of the characters but also highlighted that the performers are so much more than their incarcerated status.

Lieutenant Nelson, the Volunteer Coordinator at Limon Correctional Facility, shared that 22 offenders participated in the play, along with numerous staff and volunteers who supported the project. “It’s part of my job to coordinate these types of programs, but supporting them is truly important to me,” Nelson said. “I love how these guys put everything into this production. It’s given them a tremendous boost in confidence. There has been a dramatic increase in positivity and pro social behavior among the offenders involved.”

The program also included a special thank you to Lieutenant Nelson, recognizing her dedication to serving with both heart and excellence in corrections.

After the performance, a brief Q&A session allowed actors to share their thoughts on the experience. Several mentioned the strong sense of brotherhood and community that developed during rehearsals, while others acknowledged that stepping out of their comfort zones helped them grow as individuals. Many expressed their appreciation for the personal connections they formed through the process.

Though the play was performed exclusively at the Limon Correctional Facility, it sets a promising precedent for future performances, offering a glimpse into the transformative power of theater in correctional settings.

The following information was provided in the program and printer with permission.

Cast list

(in alphabetical order)

Jody Aguirre ...................... Joey

Maliek Bailey ............ Ensemble

Willie Christman .... lmpreal, an immortal

Travis Colvin ......... Fortune, an immortal

Brandon Cook ....... Kitchen Staff

Antonio Farrell. ............... Crunk

Marritte Funches ............. Byron

Gregory Freilinger ....... Ensemble

Lysander Harvey ........ Busboy, an immortal

Dexter Lewis ........... Dr. Eph U'al, Thug #2

Cedric Martin ................... Danger

James McDaniel ................... Rex

Zach Rhodes ................. C-Money

Tyrone Richardson .......... Thug #1

Travis Sandlin .. Cosmo Stargazer, an immortal

TreVon L. Williams .......... Major

George Woldt. ................. Pastor

Production Team

Directors ... Janet Feder, Madalyne Heiken, Julie Rada

Supporting Director ... Lauren Schaad

Stage Manager & Board Operator ....Mikhail Durall

Art Work Design .... Dexter Lewis, Cedric Martin, TreVon Williams

Lighting Design ... Mikhail Durall, Miriam Suzanne

Sound Design ......... Jody Aguirre, Janet Feder

Selected Choreography ...

Lysander Harvey

Dance Captain ...... Maliek Bailey

Sound Operator .... Joaquin Mares

Stage Crew: Otis Bell, Joaquin Mares, Matthew Mirabal

Artistic Contributions From: Geno Aviles, Paul Bugarcic, John Carbonell, Rich Davis, Jeff Ford, Christiano Herman, Chris Lovely, Omar Ramirez, Joanna Rotkin, Shawn Sheeley

ACT Ensemble Facilitators: Janet Feder, Madalyne Heiken, Julie Rada (program lead), Lauren Schaad, Galen Trine, Alison Turner

Biographies

Jody Aguirre (Joey): As the frontman for "One Vision," a ground- breaking collaboration of staff and inmate musicians, Jody Aguirre has had the tremendous privilege of witnessing, first hand, the liberating effects of live music within the smothering world of a penitentiary. Now, as a proud member of Action Change Theatre, Jody and his fellow castmates hope to take you on a journey to a place where the wings of imagination and love will put you free. A place called The Last Cafe at the End of the World.

Maliek Bailey (Ensemble): Maliek is a fantastic dancer and has grown to be an integral part of our ensemble.

Willie Christman (lmpreal): Willie's character is the green being who feeds off of lies. Willie loves God, his family. Pray to heal broken hearts!

Travis Colvin (Fortune): As a self-proclaimed abolitionist, Travis has a lifelong mission and passion to affect change in the way justice is administered in the criminal legal system. He welcomes constructive discourse with anyone as to how to improve the lives of all who have been impacted by crime and punishment. Travis' personal hobbies are fitness, health, and happiness! Since being introduced to performing arts through his performances in a rendition of the play Antigone by the greek dramatist Sophocles and The Last Cafe at the End of the World, Travis has developed a fascination and love for the world of theatre. Travis is immensely grateful for the connections he has made through collaboration with fellow performers, as well as connections with the audiences of his performances.

Brandon Cook (Kitchen Staff): Brandon wrote the beautiful song featured at both the beginning and end of our production. After sitting in on a few of our rehearsals, he was moved by what he experienced. This song is the result. He has no formal singing or music training. His previous theatre experience consists of routinely playing the child in his older cousin's high school play when Brandon was four. He thinks the play is brilliant and loves being a part. He thanks Jody Aguirre for talking him into coming.

Mikhail DuRall (Stage Manager/Lighting Design): Mikhail DuRall is a life-long creative and dreamer of dreams, but this is only his second play after Julie Rada's adaptation of Antigone. While a member of the production team on both plays, Mikhail also spends his personal time writing fiction, personal journals, and has a published interactive fiction experience at ET.StoryNexus.com.

Antonio Farrell (Crunk): Antonio has been incarcerated since he was a juvenile. He embodies creativity and is known around the country for his artistic abilities. Antonio is now expanding his passion for art by exploring the theatre. Antonio hopes to transform lives, turn messes into messages, overcome life's tests, and create powerful testimonies.

Marritte Funches (Byron): Funches is a San Francisco native.

Comments: "I am nobody, are you nobody, too?"

Gregory Charles Freilinger (Ensemble): Gregory has been lost in a world full of love and hate with no real direction. What opened his eyes to the endless possibilities was love; his whole existence is for a reason. He would love to call himself one of the most special, most important people in the world, not for what he has accomplished but for what God wants him to be. He is an AutoCAD drafter, personal computer specialist, brother, and son.

Lysander Harvey (Busboy): Life in prison has been a journey and on that road, Lysander has been in a constant search. His search for love in a broken world has and always will be his greatest obstacle. However, throughout this journey he has found blessings. Lysander was selected as one of the journalists for the prison newspaper The Inside Report.  Through DU PAI, Lysander participated in the musical Godspe/1 as the dance captain. Lysander had a new sense of purpose and kept his search, step by step. This led him to complete his first year at Regis University; he will finish his studies through Trinidad State. Lysander has been a CrossFit coach, group leader with DU and the 7-Habits course. Maybe you can help remind him what love is like? As he participates in this play, he has one moment, one day, one life, and one searching path to love. Thank you.

Dexter B. Lewis Jr. (Dr. F Ual, Thug #2): Dex was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. Dex is inspired by the infinite possibilities of change within the incarcerated community, while devoting his incarceration to being the change he seeks through various mediums: creative writing, poetry, mixed media visual arts, theatre ensemble, music production, fitness training, and dynamic networking.

Cedric Martin (Danger): Cedric is a self taught artist. He has found a world of community, light and life through the arts. Cedric believes that theatre and other art practices, experiences and appreciation hold immense therapeutic value. He has found the Action Change Theatre to be a vital and powerful font of positivity in the difficult terrain of the carceral state.

James McDaniel (Rex): James was a latecomer to ACT. Theatre is a new experience for him and he very much enjoyed his interactions with others, as it takes him outside his comfort zone. This play has provided James with great opportunities to make new connections with new and exciting people.

Zach Rhodes (C-Money): Zachary Rhodes is a self taught musician. He learned to read music, play guitar and play drums while incarcerated. He found his way to our ensemble out of a desire to try something new.  Zachary loves the ensemble community almost as much as we love him. Zach is thankful for the many opportunities that were given during this play. It is also his first play in which he enjoys so much; he plans on continuing ACT plays in the future. He also wants to thank everyone who helped him open up to this new experience in his life. It has given him confidence, motivation, and creativity.

Tyrone Richardson (Thug #1 ): Tyrone is beyond thankful for this opportunity to have had a role in this play. This was Tyrone's first time acting and being involved with ACT. He very much enjoyed the experience and said that the team was and is far greater than amazing. He also plans to continue to grow in this style of theatre art. It was a joyful experience.

Travis Sandlin (Cosmo Stargazer): Travis (Trav) has a deep appreciation for music and was fortunate enough to have landed a position with Inside Wire: Colorado Prison Radio before the program ended abruptly in 2023. He also has been published in Tell It Slant: AnAnthology of Creative Nonfiction from Colorado's Prisons. Trav's passion, however, is in restorative justice (RJ) practices. It is his dream to persuade the law enforcement community to rely on RJ practices more heavily and to also convince the courts that they should first use RJ before they incarcerate individuals.

TreVon L. Williams (Major): TreVon's introduction into ACT Ensemble came on the back end of Antigone that was performed at Limon. Someone he was close to introduced him to the current group at the VERY beginning of The Last Cafe. He'll admit, he lost interest but gladly returned. He's an artist through and through, he'd dare say most great thinkers/performers are. Having the privilege of allowing his "inner child" to remain alive in the crux of incarceration is something he is extremely proud to have maintained. His private life consists of art in various forms and he's beyond grateful to Julie and Maddie for allowing thisperformance to be added to that list. Enjoy!

George Woldt (Pastor): When George first heard about Action Change Theatre Ensemble, he was quickly drawn to it because of the teacher. He worked with Julie on a former project and, even though he knew very little about it, he signed up to support her. Julie, along with Janet, Maddie, Lauren and everyone else who has invested their time, money, and energy into us has been a blessing. They have taught us so much about life lessons, group dynamics, challenging ourselves, problem solving, and team building. Their ability to lead a heterogeneous group of men to collaborate with one another is amazing.