Skip to main content

"What a Riot!" Response - Noah Cott

I really enjoyed this read--Mady Schutzman’s writing is eloquent, poignant, and explorative rather than definitive. I kept finding myself inspired by quotes and writing them down to peek at later or use for a later project. However, along with the joy I felt reading this, I also felt a sort of skepticism as I read it, though never fully formed. I felt defensive knowing that the project, which honed in on specific events which have monumental reverberations within the black community, featured no black ensemble members. I was skeptical of the philosophy which allowed the adults’ voices and politics to have a prevailing voice through the vessel of the youth, and I sometimes had a suspicion that maybe her priorities were askew. In a way, the fact that this skepticism has such a spotlight on it in my mind is a sign of my privilege--the privilege of not having to be skeptical about these things--and I am grateful for that check. I haven’t come to a prevailing conclusion about any of these things, but all of those things were embedded into my experience reading this beautiful piece of writing.
Strategies Mady Employed:
-Having the group offer historical figures they were curious about/wanted to celebrate
-using the joker system to include many perspectives; “mutability of identity”
-Including “the young people’s experience learning about the characters they were to portray; their reactions and questions to the often brutal and terrifying events in the characters’ lives”
-Listening to the desire of the group: “I don’t to play poor latinos anymore”
-“Brechtian distance” from violence as an opportunity to critique
-Utilizing popular culture in the form of the Wheel of Fortune parody to “assume a common language associated with fun and entertainment within which to stage more probing questions of social politics”
-“Community and human relations prioritized over professional training”

Strategies That Resonate:
-Using the joker system to include many perspectives
-Including “the young people’s experience learning about the characters they were to portray; their reactions and questions to the often brutal and terrifying events in the characters’ lives”
-Listening to the desire of the group: “I don’t to play poor latinos anymore”

Relevance to Community:
-These students grew up in the immediate wake of the rodney king news phenomenon and riots, which heavily impacted what it meant to grow up in Los Angeles
-Choosing Claudette, who was 15 when she performed her act of courage, provides an immediate relevance to the group, whose ages ranged from 13-17
-Listening to the desire of the group: “I don’t to play poor latinos anymore”

Questions for Mady:
-What was the thought process behind displaying triggering images like full KKK regalia in a theatre piece featuring only minors? Was that a decision everybody came to together?
-You quoted donald amerson saying, “this rage is not a one-color thing either,” and I really agree, but how did you navigate writing a piece about an oppressed group with an ensemble which doesn’t include anyone inside of that oppressed group?

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