Courtney Cone

She draws on personal history and lived experience— using her time spent in a Texas prison as a point- of-departure—to produce works that explore dehumanization, and abjection, and speak to the visceral horrors of incarceration.

Cone received a 2019 Right of Return USA Fellowship to support her performance, Ain’t No Orange in Texas: The Variety Show. She partnered with the Texas Center for Justice and Equity (formerly Texas Criminal Justice Coalition) and worked with three formerly incarcerated women, who shared their experiences through spoken word, improv sketches, and cooking demonstrations.

Cone hosted the variety show as Officer Cheatham, a satirical prison guard. Each woman’s story offered knowledge that the audience was unfamiliar with, while Officer Cheatham created intrusions and antagonized the performers. Officer Cheatham’s callous attitude upset the audience— they booed her. After each event, audience members approached the performers to express their support and concern regarding the condition in prisons and engaged in discussions about criminal justice reform. The two-day event took place at The Museum of Human Achievement (MoHA) in Austin, TX.