Sunday, December 22, 2013
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
and EMMALEE C. TORISK
YOUNGSTOWN
Suppose a bedraggled homeless man asked you for a donation while you were Christmas shopping.
What would you do?
As a holiday experiment, Robert Dennick Joki put a secret plan in motion to find out, and also to reward those who share with the less fortunate.
Joki, director of Rust Belt Theater Company, donates to charity every holiday season. But this year he decided to do something more meaningful.
Putting his theatrical ability to work, Joki planted an actor portraying a homeless man outside the B&O Station on Saturday afternoon, where the annual Last-Minute Market was taking place. Artisans and crafters display their handmade items at the market, as throngs of Christmas shoppers pack the building.
The actor was Jesse Regan, a newcomer to the Mahoning Valley and an Army veteran who served in the Iraq War. For five hours, Regan sat near the building’s entrance and clutched a rain-drenched, hand-lettered cardboard sign that read, “Spare some change — just trying to get home.”
Three other actors also blended into the crowd, while a camera operator surreptitiously captured every exchange.
The shoppers who gave the “homeless man” cash, or even a kind word, were tracked down moments later by the actors and furtively handed a $20 gift certificate for the artists’ market. Joki reimbursed all of the merchants for the gift certificates at the end of the day, using money saved up over the past six months by members of the Rust Belt Theater Company.
“The goal was to reward people for random acts of kindness, while helping out our local artists at the same time,” said Joki, who plans to post an inspirational video encompassing the entire project on YouTube.com.
So how did Saturday’s experiment go?
Joki admitted he was initially worried that no one would stop to help or, conversely, that the secret would get out early, causing shoppers to line up for the gift certificates.
But, ultimately, Joki had no reason to be concerned.
About 75 gift certificates were distributed between noon and 5 p.m. to shoppers, including those who offered to buy Regan a bus ticket or food — or who handed him $20 bills, then refused to take the money back even once they were in on the secret.
Joki added that the reactions of most shoppers were simply overwhelming.
Several burst into tears upon being handed a gift certificate, while others declined, deferring the gift certificate to someone who needed it more.
“I hope this resonates with people, that not all random acts of kindness go unnoticed,” Joki said. “People are watching the kind things you do, which can start a chain reaction.”
Setting up Saturday’s ruse, and keeping it under the radar, was no small undertaking. Joki had to let a lot of people in on it, including the owners of the B&O Station, and swear them to secrecy.
Youngstown police were also in the loop, so they didn’t attempt to remove the actor. Joki also had to consult a lawyer to clear privacy issues stemming from the project, and employ a photographer and videographer.
“This had been about six months in the planning, and it has been a huge task,” said Joki, who added that he loves a challenge.
Joki also had to prep Regan, his “homeless man” actor. Regan, who has worked with homeless veterans over the years, was instructed not to lie to people who talked to him, but to use aspects of his own life and experience in conversation.
Regan recently moved to the area from State College, Pa., and explained that he’s never been a big fan of cities. Most who inhabit them, he said, are rude, seemingly all-consumed by “their Starbucks and their cellphones.”
But the results of Saturday’s experiment caused him to rethink this long-held belief.
“I learned a lot about Youngstown today,” Regan said. “I learned how kind and compassionate the people here are.”