President Jonathan J. Sanford, Ph.D. | University of Dallas website

Associate Professor Kyle Lemieux, MFA, has extended his teaching beyond the University of Dallas campus by participating in a program that brings Shakespeare to incarcerated youth at the Henry Wade Juvenile Detention Center in Dallas. Lemieux, who is also chair of the university's drama department and has directed nearly 20 productions, said his goal is to serve students as he was served during his undergraduate years.

Lemieux joined the initiative after being invited by theater colleagues involved with Junior Players, an organization focused on encouraging intellectual growth and life skills through mentoring and participation in the fine arts for disadvantaged youth. The group began its work at Henry Wade in 2023; Lemieux joined for the program’s second year.

Getting clearance to enter the detention center required local, state, and federal approval. Inside, strict security measures meant actors could not bring typical stage props or even pens and staples for scripts. Despite these limitations, Lemieux and his fellow actors adapted their methods to fit the environment.

The program started with a professional reading of Macbeth performed for residents who had varying levels of exposure to Shakespeare. Lemieux described seeing significant engagement from some participants: “You see the transformation in them to a degree I don’t normally see working with people who are not incarcerated,” he said. “Their lives are so structured, so regimented, that any opportunity for them to express themselves... it’s so powerful to see and just to be a small participant in that.”

He recounted one student’s visible transformation during the performance: initially withdrawn but gradually becoming attentive and engaged as the play progressed. “He literally came out of his shell,” Lemieux reflected.

Afterward, Lemieux and fellow actor Emily Ernst—artistic director for Dallas Children’s Theater—returned regularly over several weeks to direct separate male and female cohorts of residents in their own productions of Macbeth. This division was necessary because male and female residents at Henry Wade are not permitted to interact.

Participation in the theater program is considered a privilege at Henry Wade and can be revoked due to poor behavior. Lemieux insisted on using Shakespeare’s original text rather than simplifying it for participants. Because nothing could be left behind—including scripts—the young actors memorized their parts during limited instruction time.

Lemieux observed changes not only among participants but also among staff: “For me personally, the most powerful thing about the reading was watching their own guards... being moved by what these kids were capable of.” The impact led guards to allow male and female residents to watch each other’s performances.

The project was documented by filmmaker Frank Darko in "Shakespeare with Henry: Behind the Prison Pipeline," which premiered at Texas Theater in Dallas on September 15, 2024.

Reflecting on his experience, Lemieux said: “It really enkindled in me a desire to find a way to keep doing this. It speaks to the power of the arts and specifically the power of theater to transform lives.”