Young men and women at Probation’s Youth Transition Campus were treated to a special traveling production of “Julius Caesar,” a William Shakespeare tragedy on political conspiracy and civil war.
The Globe for All Tour, a distinguished community outreach ensemble from the Old Globe Theatre, recently performed in-the-round for about 45 youth, teachers, therapists, and staff.
“All-in-all, the youth loved the event and remarked they had never seen a performance done so well and would love to see more,” said Probation Division Chief Mike Whatley.
Afterward, youth had a chance to ask questions and discuss the themes of the play with the actors. This included performers discussing what a day in the life of a performer was like and learned about apprenticeship opportunities and acting classes.
Enrichment programs and opportunities for youth, such as this one, help support the long-term success of youth. Justice-involved youth have frequently experienced trauma or instability in their lives and these arts experiences expose them to new possibilities, interests and art as a therapeutic outlet.
San Diego County Probation also has a partnership with the La Jolla Playhouse that includes a week-long theater technology camp for participating youth in the summer. Theater teachers and technical staff lead the students through rigorous standards-based coursework that includes making props, scenery and pieces of the sets. They also learn lighting design, costume design and special effects makeup.
Participants can earn course credit and a certificate of completion from the La Jolla Playhouse. Both can be listed on the student’s resume to support a career in theater or other professional goals.
County Probation is dedicated to helping justice-involved youth grow, heal, and build better futures.
