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Macy Rupp-What A Riot!

“What a Riot!”, a project initiated by CAP and eventually spearheaded by Mady Schutzman, is a prime example of effective use of one Augusto Boal’s many forms of theatrical community engagement: the Joker System.  To summarize, the Joker System takes on a historical character or event as a point of discussion, where participants can share and debate opinions or feelings about this particular subject.  The Joker System also includes a chorus (or two) “that sings, dances, complains, rallies, and talks directly to the audience” (Schutzman, 4).  Something I appreciated about the Joker System approach was the ability for this community of youth to identify a common feeling that was represented in a real life experience: in this case that of Rodney King and Claudette Colvin.  While Schutzman clarifies that most of the teens she was working with were part of the latino community, she explores how the students found similarity and representation in the stories of Rodney King and Claudette Colvin. Also including the tragedy of Rodney King allowed the students to engage in a historical event that their parents and grandparents remember, giving them an even bigger identifier with the situation.  With the Joker System, the students were able to workshop as multiple characters, analyzing-even just for a minute-how each of the characters felt in the situation, revealing how the students felt about the police, about social pressure, and about fear.  I would love to ask Mady how she was able to lead these conversations confidently.  That was something I found incredibly striking about our experience in class with her, she was confident in her teaching and space in the room but maintained a respectful and open disposition considering she didn’t know many of the students personally.  I would also like to know how she sees different theatre creators and collaborators engaging in more community-constructed pieces like this- essentially where can designers find a space in these rooms? 

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