Upset!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Madie's article that documented her experience writing her first Joker System play with youth from Plaza de la Raza in East LA. I've learned about theater of the oppressed before, but still each account I read from a participant in a TO workshop fascinates and excites me so much. I loved reading about Madie's work with the youth concerning issues not directly concerning them (in the past I had only read about exercises in which the participants would reenact personal stories from their lives). Engaging in all sides of an issue by switching characters, asking questions, engaging the audience and so on makes room for a fresh opinion, new insight, an exploration of unmarked terrain. It encourages the gray area Madie worked so hard to create. Which leads me to my main point of interest. Black, white, and shades of gray. It's quite difficult to attempt to allow oneself to live in shades of gray. As humans we want to automatically categorize, label, judge and disregard. These tendencies are necessary to our survival and general well-being, however they inhibit us a lot of the time by gluing us to our habits and caging us in our comfort zone. The comfort zone is a place where one isn't challenged or questioned. Everything is predictable and boring and that's the only way we know to be comfortable and survive. What TO attempts to do is break down that comfortable space to expand the viewer and participants' minds to something greater- a more inclusive view. Not surprisingly, patents complained about Madie's work which sought the expand and explore gray areas both in the pieces and within the actors themselves. Yet they also criticized her for providing too much personal opinion. There is no middle ground. People will always be upset. But at least with Madie's work the questions were being asked. I find that in critical studies classes, most everyone wants to give an answer. Write a period. Close the book. These options are so limiting not only to the classroom but most of all to the people in general. Looking for the right answer isn't the answer, but if you ask enough questions the "answer" might find you. Thanks TO for always asking questions and spreading this belief all over the world. Sophia Wang