Inside Woodbourne Correctional Facility, Eli Henry was focused on one thing: Remembering his lines.

“Knowing that my peers are counting on me, that's a big weight," he said. "I had to get serious about it, and put a little bit of work in.” 

Henry is the main character in a stage adaptation of the Marlon Brando classic “On the Waterfront." The production was made possible by the nonprofit Rehabilitation Through the Arts, or RTA.

Nick Lopez, RTA's program coordinator, has spent a career acting and teaching theater, but he feels honored to work with inmates. 

“To be a part of their lives, to have them a part of my life," he said. "For them to share their experiences, to be vulnerable, to take the risk in an environment that kind of, well, frowns upon anybody being vulnerable, or risk taking.” 

Sam Cooperman stars alongside Henry. He has embraced the challenge.

“We don't all have good days, we all don't have bad days," he said. "But the bad days, we lift each other up and the good days, we all ride along together. So what kept me coming back is the camaraderie.” 

Over a year of preparation went into the show. As they prepared to debut it in front of a group of their peers, Cooperman couldn't help but think what it’ll feel like to finally do this, and how he’ll feel once the show is over. 

He imagines it’ll be hard to describe. 

“Probably as close to the feeling as being released," Cooperman said. "We’re going to be on cloud nine. I think all of us are going to be thrilled with today." 

Lopez said programs like RTA are needed inside of prisons because it can be cathartic for the participants. 

“On top of that, too, they're learning communication skills, they're learning empathy," he said. "They're learning, like, what if I spoke to this person this way? And what might the results be and how would I handle that? They can take this education, they can take this experience and apply it to their real lives.” 

It’s a performance that makes it easy for an audience to forget they’re watching it from behind bars.

Henry said all of the hours of learning what it takes to be an actor and attending these workshops, were all worth it. 

“And this was one of the things that I thought it would be challenging," he said. "I thought it might get me out of my comfort zone. And I knew that there were going to be things that I learned from it, too. And I have.”