DANBURY, CONN. — An eye-opening look at the personal stories of women who have been in prison, “In My Shoes,” will be presented by the Judy Dworin Performance Project (JDPP) at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2015, in Ives Concert Hall in White Hall on the Western Connecticut State University Midtown campus, 181 White St. in Danbury. Tickets for the performance are $15 and are available at www.wcsu.edu/tickets or (203) 837-TIXX. The public is invited. In the case of inclement weather, the snow date will be Wednesday, Nov. 4.

A sold-out Hartford Stage crowd was mesmerized last December when the JDPP opened its 25th anniversary season with “In My Shoes.” This spirited, soul-searching performance piece asks, “What would it be like to be in my shoes?” With startling clarity and compassion, “In My Shoes” examines choices and twists of fate that lead to incarceration. It also tells of perseverance and hope, atonement and redemption found in walks during “time in;” the pathways out of prison; and what it means to be truly free.

“In My Shoes” integrates movement, spoken word and song, and is performed with warmth and wit by six women who have reentered Connecticut communities from York Correctional Institution. Two are members of Women on Our Own, a singing/spoken word group that electrified audiences at the 2013 Hartford appearance of Piper Kerman (author of “Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison,” inspiration of the popular Netflix series). All of these women are progressing toward new, rewarding lives. They are joined by the ensemble of the Judy Dworin Performance Project, which has won multiple awards in its 25-year history.

A post-performance talk led by Dworin with the performers will invite audience questions and discussion of criminal and social justice, strengths-based intervention programs in penitentiaries, and the role of the arts as agents of change.

Dworin’s dance-theater works are known for compelling social commentary and warm humanism. Cutting across boundaries of gender, geography and governmental decree, she testifies for those whose voices have been stilled or muted by history and social injustice. While presenting challenging and difficult questions, her dance-theater works convey inspiring stories of perseverance, transcendence and hope.

This performance is being brought to WCSU through a grant from the New England Foundation for the Arts, as well as Western’s Ancell School of Business.

For more information, contact Marilyn Kain at kainm@wcsu.edu.

Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England’s best small private universities.