Folsom Prison Experience
Folsom Prison Experience Bio
Step inside the gates and relive one of the most electrifying days in American music history. Folsom Prison Experience is a fully immersive, drama-charged theatrical production that transports audiences back to January 13, 1968 — the day Johnny Cash recorded At Folsom Prison and rewrote the rules of live performance.
At the time, Cash’s career was at a crossroads: personal struggles, dwindling hits, and stalled studio work. Betting everything, he walked into a maximum-security prison to record a live album in front of some of the toughest men in America. What looked like a simple idea spiraled into a day filled with nerves, heavy security, and behind-the-scenes chaos — until Cash, the Tennessee Three, June Carter, and the Statler Brothers turned pressure into lightning.
This production puts you inside that story. From inmate intake to roll call, you’ll feel the tension of the guards, the presence of the Warden, and the explosive energy of a captive audience.
Starring Jay Ernest as Johnny Cash, alongside Kat Perkins, Brad Erickson, Dan Hopman, Ryan Nelson, Zach “Poppa Bear” Norton, Bronson Bergeson, and a full cast bringing June Carter, Carl Perkins, the Statlers, and the Tennessee Three to life, this is not a tribute show.
It’s a night inside the most infamous concert ever staged.
An Immersive Tribute Drama Inspired by the Day Johnny Cash Recorded At Folsom Prison
Step inside the gates for a full-throttle, drama-filled journey back to January 13, 1968.
Folsom Prison Experience is a fully immersive theatrical tribute that rebuilds the tension, grit, and electricity of the day Johnny Cash recorded At Folsom Prison. A the time,
Cash’s personal life was strained, the hits had slowed, and studio sessions were going nowhere. So he took a gamble no one expected by recording a live album inside the maximum-security walls of Folsom Prison.
What sounded like a simple plan unraveled into a day packed with nerves, tight security, and behind-the-scenes chaos. But when Cash and the Tennessee Three stepped onstage, that pressure erupted into one of the most important performances in American music history.
This production puts you inside that story. From intake to roll call, you’ll serve your “sentence” as an inmate and feel the weight of the guards, the presence of the Warden, and the energy of a captive audience.
Starring Jay Ernest of Church of Cash as Johnny Cash, with powerhouse performances from Kat Perkins, Brad Erickson, Dan Hopman, Ryan Nelson, Zach “Poppa Bear” Norton, Bronson Bergeson, and more, this cast brings the full lineup of June Carter, the Statler Brothers, Carl Perkins, and the Tennessee Three to life.
Not to be confused with a tribute show, Folsom Prison Experience allows you to spend a night inside the most infamous concert ever staged. Get ready for a one-of-a-kind journey through music history.