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What A Riot! Response

What a Riot! Response
-By Meisen Hu
Before I write this response, I have to admit that I don’t know much about the history of racism in America, and I’ve only done very limited researches about the L.A. Riot of 1992. Please forgive me if I’ve unintentionally wrote anything offensive.

The play UPSET! Was written in conjunction with age 13 to 17 Latino teenagers who’ve enrolled in the Plaza program at that time. It’s content is indeed quite upsetting as it addresses the historical issues of racism directly and literarily: creating the plot of the play based on Rodney King, a construction worker turned writer and activist who were brutally beaten by LAPD officers on March 3, 1991, which later had triggered the L.A. Riot of 1992. I personally like how she invites all participated teenagers to craft the plot of the play together, and how she also steps in to explain certain words or events that these youngsters may not have understand. The Joker system also allows the participants to not only self-criticize and refine their creations, as well as making this serious subject matter easier for these youngsters to understand.
The play is relevant to this community because it stages the stories to address the common issue that this community has to deal with and allows the youth to experience it by themselves in a safe and less serious manner.
I’d like to ask Mady about what changes would she make if he’s making UPSET! today. Since it has been 14 years after the initial creation of the play, what changes would make the play relevant for today’s youth? And should the topic shift towards addressing recent issues regarding the Trump administration from its original material?

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