WHAT A RIOT - Josh Rivas

Art And Community Engagement.

TEN LENSES:

1. Content: What is the issue, need, idea or opportunity addressed by this project? The project addresses multiple things. First off the play itself address the lack of knowledge students have on influential people of the past specifically minorities that were influential in causes. But the process in which the project is created allows the students to exposed to a more complex form of theatre. Many students might not have been able to fully comprehend the complete underworking and complexity of the piece, however this piece did begin their unconscious mind to think in a direction of complex and potent theatre for social change. 

2. Form: What medium and techniques were used to embody the content?

The joker was a technique that was used in addition to the chorus to interview characters, provide space for the audience to breathe after intense scenes. 

3. Context: What are the circumstances and setting that frame our understanding of this project?

Plaza de Raza with CalArts hired Mady Schutzman to create a project with the community at Plaza de Raza. 13-17 yr old Latin Americans who met three times a week and the project went to Redcat Afterward. 

4. Stakeholders: Who can affect or be affected by this project?

The actors that participated in the process and the author. Also the audience and anyone else in the company experienced this project. Family and friends of all these people as well. 

5. Audience or communities engaged: For whom and/or with whom was this project created?

This project was created for the Downtown Los Angeles Communities and it was created by teenagers between the ages of 13-17 from around the area and predominately Latin teens. 

6. Engagement strategies: How were the stakeholders, audiences, and community members engaged in this project? How were the goals of the project advanced?

The stakeholders were specifically involved because they used this project of exploring a community not directly related to their own and found the relations between different periods of times and communities. This has made all stakeholders involved question themselves. Their identity and their involvement in the community in which they call their own. 

7. Resources: What tangible or intangible resources were used to pursue the project's goals?

The minds of the actors who came to rehearsal and played with the author creating moments. The author's mind. The space at Raza. The title and privileges of CalArts and Redcat. 

8. Goal: What are the project's objectives?

To share two histories or multiple histories and to question those histories and their importance and relevance to todays world and issues. 

9. Outcomes: What were the results and the impact of this project? Did they match the goals?

It seems as if most of the intense themes were not realized by all of the actors however through the process of creating the script and piece many questions were being asked that will push the minds of these teens in the direction of trying to comprehend the complexities of race and class in todays culture. 

10. Values: What were this project's guiding values and/or core beliefs?

To ask questions and be curious about our past and present.