Loyola had the honor of continuing the dialogue surrounding the Angola Three by presenting a play that has been considered by state funded schools as being too controversial.

The Loyola College of Law presented the show, performed in Nunemaker Hall on Sept. 18, 19 and 20 by a Houston theatre group.

Writer and producer Parnell Herbert’s “Angola 3,” directed by Wayne DeHart, calls for prison reform through the story of a group of inmates of the Louisiana State Penitentiary, commonly called Angola, who, dissatisfied with their living conditions, starts a chapter of the Black Panther party in 1971 in order to fight for change. 

After a guard was killed, the prison staff sends three to solitary confinement for 30 years, until they are discovered and granted retrial. Robert King, played by Phil Brent, is released following his trial when the Supreme Court rules that he was subjected to an “inhumane and unconstitutional” sentence.
Since his release, King has worked for the acquittal of the two other prisoners, bringing light to the poor prison conditions in the US system.

The characters were well represented as a whole, with strong voices to represent the frustration of the Angola inmates, but each, with the exception of the warden and the guards, seemed to lack a truly defined voice until the three inmates were placed in solitary confinement halfway through the play.

The weakest performance came from a Rastafarian inmate, played by Chris Tucker, whose attempt at a Caribbean accent fell very short.

One of the best performances came from the prosecutor, played by Bob Morgan, whose convincing account of racist views and a well-performed rural-Louisiana accent stood out against all of the other characters.
Several red herrings were dropped into the play, which threw off its focus.

In one example, an older inmate, who had devoted himself to being a religious man, handed out copies of the Bible which concealed what looked like prison shanks. It seemed as though the shanks were going to be used in the play, or even that they would be found and used as some kind of evidence against the prisoners, but that never happened.

The best part about the play was the music soundtrack, which featured songs and excerpts of speeches, which led the play from the late 1960s and early 1970s into the late 1990s.
Black artists of various genres were specifically highlighted and a special performance by two Mardi Gras Indians surprised the audience in the second act.

The characters contributed their own talents as well, singing and chanting throughout the performance.
Though the play alluded to a strong message, it wasn’t really clear what that message was until the end. At this point, the idea that states divert federal funding for state prisons to fund smaller institutions becomes more coherent.

The play suggests that the funding, once diverted, tends to benefit law enforcement agencies, rather than go towards much-needed prison reform.

The tone of the play was angry, and almost militaristic. It was clear that the prison guards and warden were racist, but the play told more than it showed.

It didn’t focus enough on why prisons need reform, instead concentrating on the camaraderie of the Black Panther party within Angola.

The play was hosted by the Loyola College of Law and several other organizations including the Black Law Student Association, the National Lawyers Guild and Amnesty International, among others.

The play was decided upon because the story is an ongoing civil rights issue that many Loyola law students have studied. Many have even taken a trip to the prison to witness the conditions for themselves.

The Black Law Student Association president, Tiffany Tate, Loyola Law third year student  mentioned that though she knew about the Angola Three, but was surprised to learn that the Black Panthers worked for such positive changes, and that was the reason why the three men were victimized.

She said after seeing the play, “I appreciate the fact that the Black Panther group didn’t focus on race when trying to better prison conditions, and they made that apparent in the play.”

As a law student, Tate said she believes that prisons are necessary,  but that the prisoners conditions and rights should be respected, and that, especially in Louisiana, reform on prison sentences should be applied. 

She noted that it is the disproportionate prison sentences and terrible conditions that stand in the way of any chance of rehabilitation.

Garrett Cleland can be reached at [email protected]