As part of the next step, and to adhere to both LAHSA’s Linked Learning requirements and USC’s ATA program requirements, we needed to shift gears and focus on the community-at-large. What problem does this community face? How do we define this community? 

The 12th grade Linked Learning theme (as decided first by the faculty and then by the 12th grade class and their representatives once Kieran and I strongly encouraged their participation) was socioeconomic mobility. This doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone, so we all agreed that the end “product” (which usually is in the form of a performance with design and technical elements in order to include all students) would stem from students recording stories of their own community experiences and then interviewing members of the community. The idea was to see what big ideas came up and then create theatre elements from that, depending on the class.

Considering we were the Applied Theatre class, with a heavy emphasis on Theatre of the Oppressed, this was exactly the type of material which was perfect for improving scenes and beginning dialogue. 

Students’ recorded stories of community:

[In construction]

Themes which emerged from interviews (taken from story circles of all 12th grade students): 

Since we had already worked on Forum Theatre, Rainbow of Desire, and Aesthetics of the Oppressed, the students had a hefty tool-belt to use with their interview material. We worked especially with the use of symbol and metaphor and continuously encouraged all students to actively participate in the creation of the script and the building of the entire story. Sometimes it felt like pulling teeth, but I tried desperately hard to keep the process collaborative and sticking to the basics of PAR. 

We were able to do a preview for my classmates and faculty at USC and Kieran and I were able to practice our Jokering skills outside of the classroom as well as invite feedback for all of us to make the story more clear and raise the stakes (to better get at the heart of the problem). 

After some rough rehearsals (trudging through senioritis!), we had a script and we had a powerful story; it was showtime!