Skip to main content

Mengqing - What a Riot! Response

What strategies did she employ in her process of making in play with the youth?

Schutzman used the joker system to get all the students involved and discussed. Students could share their different perspectives and learn more about their own interested throughout the play. By making a direct connection between the students themselves with the historical event, the students learn more effectively by themselves. 

What approaches resonated with you? 

I was not growing up in a society which has racial issues, so I didn't have much interest in a similar topic. By reading What a Riot! It encouraged me to know more about the racial issue in American society because I am a minority in this society now and I have experienced different racial issues too. I'm glad that Schutzman educates the teenagers about this issue and its history. This could help the teenagers have a better understanding of their race and other race.   

How was the play relevant to this specific community? 

For the teenagers who grow up in LA or live in LA, this is a great learning experience and this would help them have a better understanding of the history of the city and racial issues.  

What questions might you ask Mady and why? 

what are the difficulties when you organize this activity? what do you do when the students are too shy and not willing to share their idea? 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CalArts Garden

The reason why I choose this topic is that I know a lot of students are complaining that CalArts is too plain. It is just one main building with a small campus. I would like to design a space for the CalArts campus where students and teachers can work together as a community and taking care of the plants. The community can hold a farmers market, season food festival or food-related artwork competition.    Few things I read about the benefits of school garden:   -  Gardens create opportunities for students to work cooperatively and to take on responsibilities.  - Gardens provide unique opportunities for cross-generational connections.  - Students learn to focus and patience, cooperation, teamwork, and social skills.  -Combining language arts and gardening activities brings a hands-on element to a subject normally taught lecture-style, providing inspiration and motivation for students who struggle to focus in traditional cl...
Post a Comment
Read more

Katharine Means What a Riot! Response

In 2005 Mady Shutzman was invited by CalArts CAP to write a play for the teenage participants Plaza de la Raza arts center in East Los Angeles to perform. At first I was intrigued by this, as my limited knowledge of Boal and Theatre of the Oppressed techniques has been around the participatory games, activities, and techniques used to build community. I know some about Forum and Legislative Theatre, but had little conception of what a TO play would look like. Shutzman's piece, UPSET! , was modeled using Boal's Joker System. There is a character called the Joker who probes the characters and audience during the play with the "ultimate goal to raise questions, offer multiple points of view, and encourage dialogue". Shutzman used this form as a "means to incorporate the teens curiosity, dismay, outrage, confusion, fear, and inspiration in relation to the subject matter of the play within the play." The teens decided upon Rodney King and Claudette Colvin (a youn...
Post a Comment
Read more

What a Riot!

What strategies did she employ in her process of making in play with the youth? Some of the strategies Mady Schutzman employed in her process of making a play with the youth were, utilizing the Joker System, presenting exercises to create a “safe” space by opening the floor and space to the youth to speak, reflect, and share their stories. What approaches resonated with you? Many of the approaches that were used were very intriguing and interesting, but there was one approach that resonated with me. Particularly, the questions that came out of one of the approaches. In the vein of the Joker System, it was designed to ,”promote social inquiry and personal agency by asking questions (How do I know what I know? Who authored the historical narratives we reiterate? Are those stories relevant to me and my community? Who do they privilege and who do they marginalize?” Mandy shared. These questions resonated with me because they are questions I have been asking myself this...
Post a Comment
Read more