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What a Riot - Caleb Wildman

"Were community and human relations prioritized over professional training? Yes" (18).

This was one of the most profound things that I took of this piece. I really appreciate that although there was end goal that they were striving for, it was more about the process of making the play. It was more important for the teens in the community to be making the decisions and learning about the histories of minorities than it was just for them to put on a show. This to me is really what it means to do community based work.

As for how the playwright actually formatted the show, I have mixed feelings. The Joker System and how it is structured in the selections given really seems like it would take away from the reality that the events of the show are about. I feel like if an audience is forced to make the decision on whether or not an event was real, they will tend to choose that it is a work of fiction, especially when it is unfavorable. In this matter, it really takes away from what is being portrayed.

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