Inside Out: One Actors Nightmarish Journey Of Incarceration

For most of my life I was a struggling actor. I appeared on such shows as Mash,WKRP in Cincinnati, and General Hospital. For a short time, I even taught an acting workshop. Today I am a struggling acting coach in Northern California, but back in the mid-seventies I was a recent graduate of the very prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts where I was part of the first graduating class in Los Angeles. After that I joined the ranks of the other sixty thousand would ­be stars that acted in showcase plays, occasionally went on a professional audition, and attended a weekly workshop.

The women that ran my workshop got involved in an interesting experiment directing a group of prisoners at the Federal Correctional Institution, Lompoc, California, in a production of Short Eyes. Except for the lead character, all the roles were played by inmates. Because of its success she was granted a weekend to conduct an improvisational workshop with the men who had been in the cast, as long as she was accompanied by a male from the outside. When she proposed the idea to me, I was excited at the possibility of being part of something that unique and agreed to be her assistant. As it turned out, nothing of any real consequence came about, but it was a very interesting weekend that few if any will ever experience. I met some very fascinating guys, some of whom I got along with and others that—let’s just say, I was glad that there were guards stationed just outside of our room.

After I got back to my regular life, I had a scare that made me think, what would happen if someone were to be part of this program and, by a twist of fate, end up back inside as an inmate? Inside Out is that story. Danny Belson is a nice guy who could be considered a working actor. He has done a few guest spots and has a small recurring role on a soap. Follow Danny as he goes from a carefree beach volleyball­ loving, pool- shooting, nice American guy to a convicted murderer serving his time where he already has built ­in friends as well as enemies. This is a book of fiction based on real events that happen to inmates on a daily basis. Imagine how your life would be if it got turned inside out.

My experience in the late seventies inspired me to write a script in the mid­-eighties that led me to write this book in 2013. So dreams do come true, but sometimes you have to wait for them. At sixty-three I’m proof of that. This book is dedicated to my beautiful daughter Shannon, with a shout out to Pek and Jim.