In ‘Lettie,’ two women struggle to rebuild their lives after incarceration

Seeing veteran actor Melanye Finister on stage, no one would ever believe that as a second grader she was frozen into terrified silence when asked to deliver a book report to her classmates.

“I was painfully shy. It was awful, crippling,” said Finister, who plays a woman recently released from prison in Lettie at People’s Light June 17 through July 13.

Her mother, strategizing with her second-grade teacher, knew that something had to be done if young Melanye was going to gain the confidence she needed. The “something” was acting classes — every Saturday morning starting in second grade.

“It was awful initially, but I kept doing it,” Finister said. “The people were so kind and encouraging. I got better and better. I ended up in theater because I needed theater to help me grow.”

On stage, Finister gives her all to the audience but insists that the benefit really goes the other way. “My empathy increases. My view of the world broadens. I get smarter.”

For this play, she had to understand the struggles faced by formerly incarcerated people. To prepare for any play, Finister reads, watches videos, and taps into personal connections to learn about her character. She did all that for Lettie and credits Lettie dramaturge Geoff Proehl for deepening the cast’s awareness.

Danielle Skraastad plays Lettie, out of prison after a seven-year sentence and trying to regain custody of her teenage children. They have erected emotional barriers, so efforts to connect, let alone gain custody, pose a heartbreaking challenge.

Finister’s character, Minny, has served even longer — 20 years for killing an abusive husband. She too has lost a child. The two women, both enrolled in a skill-building preemployment welding class, have a tense relationship.

Finister learned that it’s not unusual for women to be incarcerated for striking back at an abusive partner. “This was a real education on the challenges of reentry. We tend to keep punishing people even after they’ve gotten out of prison. No matter how hard you try, that’s your story, even if it happened years ago.

“If I was an audience member, I’d walk away trying to see how I could ease that reentry — how we could do a better job,” she said.

“The thing that this play does brilliantly is that nobody is all good and nobody is all bad. There’s no hero and no villain,” she said. “You have to take in people’s stories as they are evolving and changing. It’s a process to take in those stories — to trust and to listen.”

Finister has had a long relationship with People’s Light. From her childhood acting classes, she went on to major in theater at Carnegie Mellon University. That’s where she met Abigail Adams, People’s recently retired executive artistic director, then a teacher at Carnegie Mellon and now back at People’s to direct Lettie.

As Adams assumed leadership at People’s Light, she kept in touch with Finister, who was determined to make it in New York. Finister kept turning Adams down, until she “was absolutely broke and trying to keep my head above water.” So, in 1991, she accepted Adams’ offer to join People’s young theater troupe and has been associated with People’s Light ever since.

Other than to appear in a few plays, “I never went back to New York,” Finister said. “It’s better for me here.”

Finister, who lives in Havertown, is also a member of Wilma Theater’s HotHouse ensemble.

“Lettie,” People’s Light, runs June 17 through July 13 at People’s Light, 39 Conestoga Rd., Malvern, 610-644-3500 or peopleslight.org. Check with the theater for COVID-19 protocols. For information on other local events, visit inquirer.com/things-to-do-philly