# "Broken Clock" | Maine Inside Out Creative Ensemble | TEDxDirigo

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpRUo2kaNV4
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/CpRUo2kaNV4
Generated: 2026-01-15T18:31:56.529+00:00

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## Quick Overview

The Maine Inside Out Creative Ensemble performs a spoken word piece about the systemic challenges faced by individuals navigating the justice system, using personal anecdotes about family struggles, the desire for justice and equality, and the constant state of vigilance required in their streets.

**Key Points:**
- The ensemble performs a piece titled "Broken Clock" highlighting systemic issues and personal struggles related to the justice system.
- Performers recount personal stories, including one speaker needing childcare for their sick baby and another reflecting on their son's sixth birthday while they were incarcerated.
- The performance emphasizes the lack of empathy within the system, noting that time stops when a gun pops or a cell door locks.
- A core message is the desire for justice, equality, and support resources for mothers and formerly incarcerated individuals.
- The piece details the constant tension in their neighborhoods, where addicts do not sleep and people blindly follow patriarchal values.
- The ensemble concludes with the group embracing and bowing to the audience after delivering their powerful message.

![Screenshot at 00:11: The five members of the Maine Inside Out Creative Ensemble stand facing the audience on the red circular stage area, with the text overlay identifying them as the "MAINEINSIDEOUTCREATIVEENSEMBLE".](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/CpRUo2kaNV4/00-00-11.jpg)

**Context:** The video captures a live performance by the Maine Inside Out Creative Ensemble at a TEDxDirigo event. The ensemble, composed of five individuals dressed in all black, uses spoken word and expressive movement to share a powerful narrative about the pervasive impact of the criminal justice system on their lives and families, touching on themes of incarceration, systemic failure, and the longing for societal support and change.

## Detailed Analysis

The performance begins with the group standing together, eventually breaking into a rhythmic, synchronized movement sequence that mimics the actions described in the spoken word lyrics, like holding a phone to the ear (00:17) or putting a finger to the lips for silence (00:13). The narrative weaves together personal anecdotes illustrating the harsh realities of life under systemic pressure. One speaker details an emergency where they needed childcare for a sick baby while trying to make rent (00:31-00:45). Another speaker shares a painful memory of missing their son's sixth birthday because they were incarcerated (03:03-03:07), emphasizing the emotional toll. The piece then broadens to systemic critique, lamenting that time stops when violence occurs or a cell door locks (06:55-07:04), and noting the lack of empathy and the constant threat in their streets (07:14-07:23). The performance culminates in a collective expression of hope and a call to action: dreaming for justice, equality, and the necessary support and resources for mothers and formerly incarcerated people (09:03-09:11). The piece concludes with the entire ensemble embracing in a circle before bowing to the audience (09:31).

### Opening & Context Setting

- The ensemble takes the stage and immediately begins performance with rhythmic movement and initial vocalizations, setting a serious tone
- A woman describes struggling to find childcare for her sick baby while needing to pay rent.

### Personal Struggles

- Speakers share deeply personal experiences related to the justice system and family impact
- One speaker recounts missing their son's sixth birthday due to incarceration, expressing regret and longing.

### Systemic Critique

- The narrative pivots to critique the environment and the system itself
- They describe the constant danger in their streets, the coldness of the system, and blindly following patriarchal values.

### The Dream

- The piece shifts focus to a collective aspiration for social change
- The group unites in dreaming for justice, equality, and restoring healing and resources to their community.

### Conclusion

- The performance ends with the group coming together physically, bowing to the audience, and receiving applause.

![Screenshot at 00:00: The opening title card displaying "flux TEDxDirigo" with blue smoke effects in the lettering.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/CpRUo2kaNV4/00-00-00.jpg)
![Screenshot at 00:05: The five ensemble members gather on stage in an intimate group hug before the performance begins.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/CpRUo2kaNV4/00-00-05.jpg)
![Screenshot at 00:11: The ensemble members stand spaced out on stage, all dressed in black, with the group name displayed at the bottom.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/CpRUo2kaNV4/00-00-11.jpg)
![Screenshot at 00:34: A close-up shot of two speakers interacting, one holding a finger to their lips \(signaling quiet or secrecy\) while the other gestures expressively.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/CpRUo2kaNV4/00-00-34.jpg)
![Screenshot at 08:28: The entire ensemble stands rigidly facing forward, pointing accusatorily towards the audience, symbolizing their critique of the system.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/CpRUo2kaNV4/00-08-28.jpg)