What a Riot

I thought that Schutzman's technique of engaging the youth participates was interesting because she talked to them at their level and did not allow hold them to a stereotype already projected onto them. It was nice to use an empathic lens to explore race and discrimination because like she pointed out, it is not a one color thing. Instead of realizing their own oppression in society and grappling with it for 22 weeks, they were able to strive to understand and recognize new language around another community that is facing similar ongoing problems. I thought this was really strong not to continue distinguishing the Latino community from others, but to shed light on another community. I felt that since they were able to create a comfortable enough environment for inquiry and exploration of themes, there was real learning going on. The kids were pushing the project further, and the Schutzman was only providing the historical content of questions and topics that mattered to them. Though they may not have had the language for it, the elders of this constructed community were able to share their own political views and ideas with young through explaining the chosen language and content of the play. By performing something with loaded language, they really had to understand it to perform it. I hope that their performance was a sign of consent to sharing a new political prospective through all the various characters in the play.