The Act of Being (2017)

Fourteen nervous people huddle in a haphazard semi-circle of chairs on a sunlit stage in Richmond, CA. Seven plainclothes police officers and seven formerly incarcerated men wring their hands as playwright Michele Wells guides them through Theater for Humanity, her unique theater workshop poised to challenge the single narrative attached to each group. Through the program these community members create new bonds as they get to know each other and dismantle prevailing stereotypes, writing, speaking, and improvising to share their stories. This courageous undertaking reveals the nuances of policing and being policed proving that, no matter what side you fall on, it's not black and white.