Doin' the Time in Corona by Rick Regan is a one-act play set in the California Institution for Women (CIW) in Corona, California. The drama is stylistically modeled on Thornton Wilder's Our Town, featuring a bare stage with only three chairs and a narrator, the Guard, who breaks the fourth wall to speak directly to the audience.

The play follows a day in the life of three inmates as they share their stories, confront their pasts, and navigate their relationships with each other and confront their past.

The plot unfolds through a series of conversations. The women discuss the crimes that led to their incarceration, their backgrounds, and the societal pressures they faced. A visit from Sister Paulette introduces themes of faith, forgiveness, and intellectual engagement, particularly for Liz, who is researching Shakespeare. The play concludes at the end of the day, with the inmates in their cells, reflecting on their lives and finding a fragile connection with one another before the Guard delivers a final, somber monologue quoting Hamlet.

Major Themes

The play explores several significant themes through the honest and raw stories of its characters.

• Systemic Injustice and Prejudice: Both Unique and Phoenix tell stories suggesting they were victims of a biased system. Unique argues that as a Black woman, she is automatically presumed to be a criminal and that the police officer who witnessed her crime was prejudiced against her. Phoenix recounts being sexually harassed by a sheriff's deputy at age twelve, an event that led to her first time in juvenile hall, which she came to see as a place she was "supposed to go".

• The Nature of Crime and Punishment: The play questions the clear-cut line between victim and perpetrator. While all three women are convicted criminals, their stories reveal complex circumstances. Unique killed a man who was trying to beat her up. Liz acted out of rage and humiliation upon discovering her husband's infidelity in their home. Phoenix was arrested as an accessory while trying to protect her boyfriend. The play emphasizes the refrain "Do the crime, Do the time," while simultaneously challenging the audience to look beyond the convictions to the human stories behind them.

• The Search for Redemption and Human Connection: Despite the harsh environment, the women form a community. Their relationships are tense and fraught with conflict, but they also share their deepest vulnerabilities. The introduction of Sister Paulette brings a message of humility, service, and love. The play's final scene is a powerful exchange between Phoenix and Unique, where Phoenix offers love and support to a heartbroken Unique, who is struggling with her separation from her daughters. This highlights the possibility of finding grace and connection even in the darkest of places.

• Identity and Stereotypes: Unique repeatedly asks the Guard, "Do I look like a criminal to you?". She challenges the labels placed upon her due to her race, profession, and appearance. Phoenix, meanwhile, discusses the difference between being a "Chola Queen" and a "beef," a girl who doesn't respect herself, showing the nuanced social codes within her own culture. The play explores how these women grapple with their own identities versus the identities society imposes on them.