Upset! ! ! !

Yay! Finally a reading that didn't require me to read the page ten times before I understood it. I was extremely impressed by this play; from the subject matter to the fact that she didn't adjust the text to make it easier on the kids.

Mady's use of the Joker system to tackle such heavy material was quite clever and extremely brave. So often, plays (especially youth plays) done about the topic of race, class, violence, etc. are done in such a non-invasive, "safe" way that the topic is merely gazed at through a glass partition. They end up resembling after-school specials or cheesy anti-drug ads. The Joker system used in this context eradicated this banal approach to such delicate issues and put the onus of tackling these issues in everyone's lap: the audience, actors and even us as the readers (in a rather distant way).

Mady's passion for serving the topic as well as the performers was extremely apparent by the way in which she chose the subjects of the play (Rodney and Claudette) and the care she took to properly research these historical figures and thoroughly inform the students. Yes, the students were being exposed to new, unfamiliar, sometimes scary territory but they were being given an invaluable experience; in a way that they might never have been able to had it not been for Mady's involvement. Not only that but she took great care to show many perspectives and not just a simple biased "Racism is bad, mmkay?" I didn't think it was possible but I think I love Mady even more now than I did and I'm a huge fan ever since 1st yr.