Beyond Punishment: Stories of Justice & Healing

December 04, 2023

Written and directed by Kirya Traber in collaboration with the performers, “Beyond Punishment” follows the lives of four remarkable individuals who grapple with the intersections and impacts of interpersonal and state violence.

Four people standing on a stage behind microphones and podiums and in front of an orange and red background

As part of the recent launch of the Justice Beyond Punishment Campaign, the Center for Justice hired playwright and performer, Kirya Traber, to direct Beyond Punishment: Stories of Justice & Healing. This performance was hosted across three separate nights from November 30th to December 3rd by our friends at Weeksville Heritage Center and Hi-ARTS, with the support of Ping Chong & Company.

This moving piece brought together the stories of four individuals, Jose, TeAna, Tai Chi, and Roslyn, touched by incarceration and violence in different ways. Through documentary style storytelling, audience members followed each person's journey beyond punishment towards healing and restoration. 

These inaugural performances were a huge success and marked the beginning of what is sure to be a powerful campaign to transform how society thinks about interpersonal violence and the question of punishment. The Center for Justice hopes to provide opportunities for additional performances of Beyond Punishment in the near future. Learn more about the Justice Beyond Punishment Campaign.