Michael Rhynes and Clifton Willamson, inspired by an acting class taken at Auburn through the Cornell Prison Education Program, hit upon the idea of a permanent group, run by men incarcerated at Auburn, that would use theatre techniques as a road to redemption and transformation. They invited others to join them as “founding members” in this experiment—ongoing since 2009. Those who leave Auburn are still considered members in good standing of PPTG.