Life Wish

Happy New Year Everyone,
Fred and I are looking forward to a busy year for our play Solitary Man: A Visit to Pelican Bay State Prison. We have 2 performances scheduled so far, and another to be scheduled in February in Oakland.

On Sunday, January 19, we’ll be at the San Francisco Unitarian Universalist Church, 1187 Franklin Street @ Geary, San Francisco
1:00
No charge, but donations appreciated
Lunch will be available for a nominal fee

Presented by the Human Rights Working Group of SFUU
Co-sponsored by the Human and Non Theist Group
415-776-4580 • humanrights@uusf.org

Then on Thursday, January 30, we’ll be performing at Rossmoor in Walnut Creek at 4:00. Please message me for further details.

We’re still looking for performance opportunities, so please contact me with any leads.

It was a year ago that i was sickest from the lymphoma, so I’m happy to report that recently I had my third negative scan in a row. I had no reason to think it would be otherwise, but it’s always a relief to know for sure.

Things feel different, and i’m still understanding this post-cancer reality. I’ve recently had successful hernia and cataract surgeries, so I’m starting to feel the vulnerability that comes with age. I’ve never considered end of life issues, and this last year has been a wake up call. Also, i’ve done my best to de-stress my life, and it’s creating a quieter, more peaceful rhythm. I decided since i don’t know the future of Solitary Man that i would like to document it with a film of the entire play in a theatrical setting, so Fred and I will perform the show at the Marsh in SF on Wed. Dec. 4, and film it before a live audience. 

Solitary Man: A Visit to Pelican Bay State Prison
A two-person play with music performed by Fred Johnson and Charlie Hinton
Wednesday, December 4  •  7:30 pm
The Marsh
1062 Valencia Street, San Francisco (near 22nd)
Tickets: $15. Call 415-282-3055 or visit https://tinyurl.com/t4q33qr

Join us for this special one-time event!

On October 26 last year i was diagnosed with lymphoma and soon after began chemo. As a result, Fred Johnson and I had to cancel our scheduled performances of Solitary Man, including 11/28 at the San Francisco Marsh. I’m very happy to report that i will complete my 6th and final round of chemo next Wednesday 2/27. A scan after 3 round indicated that most of the cancer was gone, and my doctor expects all cancer cells will be “resolved” by the end of round 6. I’ll have another scan in early March to confirm.

After being very sick from mid-October until mid-December, I’m making a comeback, getting back into my old routine, and feeling stronger and more energetic every day. Therefore, Fred and I have rescheduled our postponed Marsh performance of the show for the Berkeley Marsh on my birthday, Monday March 18.

We want to continue performing, so if you or your organization would like to work with us to present the show, please let me know. I also have a new website – www.lifewish.org, with information about the show and my book, Life Wish.

Hi Everyone,

Fred and I want to update you about our show, Solitary Man: A Visit to Pelican Bay State Prison. We’ve had a busy year so far, but Fred will be back in November, and we’re ready to take our show on the road again! We’re looking for opportunities to perform, and we’re asking for your support.

In our new 2-person version, Fred really captures the spirit of Otis Washington, the man Charlie visits at Pelican Bay, adding a whole new dimension to the show. Here’s a review of a recent performance: https://tinyurl.com/y8pvq5mu .

We’re thrilled to announce that our next show will be on October 20 in Honolulu, and on November 28 we will perform at The Marsh in San Francisco! Our DREAM would be to develop a tour of California. We’ve already scheduled Nov. 8 at Sonoma State University, Nov. 14 at Rossmoor, and Nov. 17 in Arcata. We’ll also be performing in venues throughout the Bay Area, and we would like to include cities all over the state.

Our IDEAL would be to team up with a statewide organization or organizations to sponsor the entire tour, and to find local groups to sponsor individual performances. We want to use the show to assist local organizing by performing benefits, but we also want to start presenting more in theaters to earn money to support the project. Basically, we want to help build and support a movement, but we will need money to travel, and pay for venues, publicity, lodging and food.

• If you have contacts with (or are part of) potential sponsoring groups or organizations, please help us connect with them.
• If you know of potential venues anywhere in the state, let us know about them!
• And you can assist in presenting Solitary Man throughout California by donating funds, holding a house party, or by setting up a personal social media fundraiser for us!

Solitary Man has been accepted as a project of WE Empowerment Center (a 501c3 non-profit) in Los Angeles, and they will serve as our fiscal sponsor, thus making us eligible for grants and tax-deductible donations. You can donate through our dedicated project page over the web, or mail checks to: WE Empowerment Center, 345 Douglas Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026. Please write Solitary Man in the memo section of your check.

Solitary Man has been people powered from the beginning, which has helped generate performances and positive word of mouth. Please keep it going. Help us organize performances and spread the word about the show. We have performed in theaters, community centers, churches, schools, art galleries and living rooms. Have show, will travel.

Given the ongoing prevalence of prisons and a “lock ‘em up” mentality in this country, it’s more important than ever to fight the prison industrial complex and capitalist profiting from torture and human suffering. Please help Solitary Man raise its voice to end this abuse and create a more just, humane, and sustainable world.

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Solitary Man is a project of The WE Empowerment Center, a 501(c)(3) Charitable Trust. All checks should be made payable directly to The WE Center/ Solitary Man . Contributions to The WE Center/Solitary Man are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.