Here's their website http://www.diversity.ku.edu/events/dialogues.shtml. We participated in their session titled "The N-Word."
I thought that the activity was thoroughly thought-provoking. Let's process today's class together. Can't wait to read your reflections!
Holy smokes, what a cool discussion we had in class this week! When the theater group started off, I had somewhat high expectations for the quality of their performance, and they absolutely exceeded them. The specific topic they brought to light was also a very thought-intensive discussion, as it is something we all know about (the N-word), but are often too scared to talk about. As Brittany’s question to her class so clearly showed, the discussion can often be a very difficult one.
ReplyDeleteHowever, it is important to take away from the presentation that there is always a way to discuss difficult things like this in a very civil, controlled, and effective manner. Several of my classmates demonstrated this, some of them taking an intellectual approach and citing facts to explain the issue, while some of them were using more intrapersonal manipulation to really delve into the characters’ feelings and actions. Either way, most approaches were able to keep the characters calm and composed, and I especially like how Sara used her own background and ethnicity to really dig down to the root of the issue. Tyre and Leon, African-American and Hispanic characters, respectively, seemed more willing to relate to her argument because of her Middle Eastern heritage. She brought up examples of how people often stereotype her, and used those cases to show Tyre and Leon that it’s not okay to treat people the way they were treating Brittany, even if she asked a question that may have offended them. I thought it was especially interesting how Sara taught them about reverse racism, which they were at several points demonstrating.
Overall, the performance was very engaging, and taught me some valuable skills that will be of great use if a difficult discussion like this arises on my Alternative Break.
Wow this weeks acting group was wonderful. At first I did not know what to expect. After the first run through of the skit there was a feeling of uncertainty. In our group there was no way that any of us would want to get up in front of the entire class, speak about these controversial topics such a race and gender. This was because we as a group could not come up with a good way to keep the class in order. In our group we all had ideas, but then we had trouble coming up with good definitive explanations of those ideas. Once the skit started for the second time, and we watched how the first individual handled the situation and then we all could all come up with some ideas of our own. I think this was shown by how the individuals that were brought in to the act got better and better with each time going through the act. This was because as an audience we were able to see the mistakes that people made before them and it also allowed the audience to learn how the actors would react to some advice. Overall I feel that having the acting class come in and have hands on situation that we had to deal with was very helpful. It brought everyone out of his or her comfort zone and led to great class interaction.
ReplyDeleteWhen the actors took their place in front of us and the idea of interactive theater was explained to us, I felt eager to be a participant. I thought to myself: “I’ve had difficult decisions before. This will be fun and not hard at all!”
ReplyDeleteI was very wrong though. The scene that unfolded before us left me dumbstruck. I even had experience with the question before, but the way in which the situation quickly spiraled out of control was something I had never experienced. I tried to process all the different points of view, but ultimately I was overwhelmed and had very few ideas of what to do.
I was extremely impressed with the way people interacted with the scene and the different possible outcomes. There were a few different methods of diffusing the situation, as well as ways of solving the issue, that each person established. Some chose facts, others chose background, and some chose simple logic. While this scene did have a different outcome for each method, some other difficult discussions may work better with a different approach. It is hard to determine what is correct right off the bat though.
I believe the performance was a great way to show how easy it is for things to get too complex quickly, but it also showed how easy it is to step in and help move the conversation to a more positive and educational avenue. This will surely come in handy in my future of service, if not directly on my Alternative Break.
This week during class a theatre group presented a skit to teach us about ways to deal with difficult conversations and potential problems that can arise in a group of people. Initially, I kind of dreaded the performance because I assumed it would be very cheesy and not very serious. The group definitely proved me wrong. Not only was the acting phenomenal, but also they definitely hit some points on group dynamics. I found it very interesting how they kept re-doing the skits and how the dynamics of the situation would change slightly on each run through. I also have to applaud the actors for the amazing job they did staying in character for an entire hour and a half because that made the scenario so real. The way the students of the class got to interact with the cast and keep improvising was also very interesting and entertaining. I thought our classmates did a really fine job trying to calmly look at the situation at hand on both sides, rather than fueling the fire of the argument. A lot of the volunteers who performed with the group did a fantastic job putting in their thoughts of how the situation should be handled, but I especially thought Sara did the best job. She was very calm and relatable and provided valid discussion points to the actors to guide them towards a civil outcome of argument. Overall, this week’s class was an eye opener and good lesson on how to deal with more hostile or uncomfortable arguments that could potentially happen in a group setting.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I wasn't able to attend this week's class but I heard a lot about it from other classmates and I watched the video from the link given above. I heard that the actors were amazing and the discussion focused on how to handle intense conflicts within a group. Each volunteer used different techniques to mediate in a difficult situation.
ReplyDeleteI think the situation could be related to our Alternative Break in New Orleans or similar tough conflicts within our group could be experienced (possibly like the one in the link above.) It's important to be able to turn a bad situation around with positive thinking, calmness, and good listening skills. Being able mediate well is so important even for smaller conflicts (not just very intense ones like the one in class.) I believe every argument or conflict can be handled, and the ways learned in class are going to help with problems we may encounter at our sites. I wish I could've gotten the hands on experience from the class!!
Last week’s class caused some intense anxiety for me. The actors were so good at their performance that when we were initially watching them I was overwhelmed by my anxiety of the situation, mostly because I could do nothing to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control. When they started the third round of the skit I couldn’t watch it again so I volunteered and was actually able to calm my anxiety by participating. I realize it might seem a little odd that going up in front of the class actually eased my anxiety but I think the fact that I was able to control the situation and not watch it heat up fast made things easier for me. I thought the whole experience was awesome and I was really intrigued by the method. I wasn’t sure what to expect when they first came but I ended in awe of their ability to create a “real” situation for students to face. I loved that I had a chance to participate; however, I feel that a real life situation would be a little different. We understood what the outcome was going to be of the conversation. We knew that some were going to get very angry and that it was going to end in one person storming out. I think this possibly effected how the volunteers responded to the situation. I think that in a real situation we won’t know how people will react and that might alter how we approach the situation. I think the most important thing to do is to remain calm ourselves, be open to different opinions, and to be aware when a situation might get out of hand. There were some actors who just sat by and allowed the situation to get worse and I think they were the ones that we should strive not to be. We should not sit back and allow a situation to get out of control but try to remain calm and help others stay calm. This was a great experience even though it initially made me incredibly anxious.
ReplyDelete-Mariah
This week’s class was a very interesting class. All of the classes so far have been so different and it’s a good thing to have knowledge in multiple varying topics to go on our spring breaks with just in case we happen to come across any of the problems. When the actors were presented, I was thinking that the problem they were going to address was not going to be so tense, but this was a very nerve-inducing topic. When the girl actress first asked the question I was completely shocked. Her persistence in more knowledge of the topic was truly unnerving. I was squirming in my seat wanting to just tell her to shut her mouth. Of course the question seemed like it was directed to Tyrese, the only African American in the class, and one can only take offense to that. When they asked for volunteers I was very impressed at how some people handled themselves. The volunteers who were the most memorable brought in history facts to try and make the argument factual, and a girl who brought in her own side of the story with the stereotypes of the background of her ethnicity. What seemed to work the most was to be a moderator. The people who remained calm the whole entire time, even though they may have gotten some unnerving responses from Tyrese and Leon, seemed to have the better effect on the group on making sure the group as a whole was carrying themselves and the argument in a calm fashion. I personally never went up because I knew that I probably could not keep calm during the whole thing. Kudos to the actors for staying in character for that long!
ReplyDeleteI thought this class was very insightful. First of all, the actors did an amazing job in portraying each character. I thought it was interesting to see how different groups of people handled the situation that the actors put forth. The people who volunteered to help out were incredible bold and courageous. I thought the people who used reason and their ability to be calm helped resolve the issue of the fight that happened in the performance. The performance did surprise me because I entered thinking it would be a mild case when instead it turned into an intense conversation on race. I have a feeling that this situation could potential happen on my trip to Chicago because I will be working with a different community that I have been exposed to. I am hoping that if an issue comes up that I too will be able to remain calm and come up with a simple solution. Luckily, I will hopefully be helped with the teacher I am going to be paired with. Hopefully, this class activity will point me in the right direction for when I have to solve difficult situations.
ReplyDeleteBeth Boomstein
The performance by the actors was a little bit extreme to me... I have experienced that sort of issue in the past a few times. My friends that are not white have been confronted about the very same issue and have reacted in a completely different way. I think that the way many people of different ethnic backgrounds are sometimes, often times, get portrayed as irrational or unreasonable when really there is no difference based on color. This was one of those times i believe. On the other hand, i think it did present a good opportunity to address the issues that were coming up. The approach i liked best was Sarah's. Not for her relating to the racist aspect, saying that whites were racist toward her too necessarily because thats not something that not a ton of people can use and it didn't end the segregation of whites vs. blacks. I think that her calm but firm approach was absolutely tops though. She diffused the situation while putting her own views out there, and that is, i believe, the best way to deal with any situation like the one we looked at in class.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this class. The actors were impressive in their commitment to their characters. I was a bit unprepared for Difficult Discussions to address such a difficult discussion but it was interesting to see how many different ways there are to tackle such an issue. In my opinion, the most effective approaches were the ones in which the mediator remained calm. If it were me, and such a difficult discussion were to arise within my group causing people to get heated and tense, I would approach the situation with the same sense of calmness. The most effective way to turn a difficult discussion into a productive discussion is to first establish that neither party is intentionally trying to offend the other. It's impossible to have constructive discussions when one or more persons feel as if they're being attacked. I would establish the middle groud, encourage each party to simply try to understand one another, and remind people that there's no need to raise their voice. I would remind group members that the goal is not to establish who is right and who is wrong, but to understand and learn from one another. Although there isn't much diversity within my group, I feel confident in my ability to mediate difficult discussions when need be.
ReplyDeleteThis weeks class was kind of hard to sit through. Typically I do not like using that type of language and it was used to freely among the actors. I could understand what both sides of the argument were saying. I wish to know why African American people find the word “nigger” offensive when used by someone who is not African American themselves. But I also understand how he found it offensive that the girl used it so casually. The word that came to my mind was “privilege.” Some people have the privilege to use certain words and other people don’t. It is unfortunate but it’s how our world works at this current time. For example, as a feminist we often find the word “bitch” offensive. But for me, I don’t, but I have “reclaimed” the word and I’ve made it my own, and I don’t mean it in a malicious manner. Perhaps this is what the African American population has done with the “n” word. I can’t say for sure because I can’t speak from a position that I am not currently in. I believe that Tyre did not handle the situation in the best way that he could. He started an attack from the beginning and that wasn’t appropriate if a resolution was really what he had in mind. He should have been more open to listening to her question and he could have taught the whole group a lesson that would stick with them for a long time.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first heard that we had to watch a theater group do a performance, I had very low expectations. I knew why they were performing but I didn't it would be very interesting. I was very wrong! They were amazing actors, I could really feel the emotion in their voices during their performance, and they made it possible to talk about the awkward topic about the usage of the "N" word.
ReplyDeleteThe first time through when it was just the actors up on stage, I really thought it was real and that it wasn't just a group of students performing on stage. Their facial expressions and how they responded to what each of the students said to each other seemed so realistic that it seemed impossible to not be real life. Then when the group started incorporating the students into the play, I thought that it was both funny and a great idea. Not only was it entertaining to watch, it gave not just one student, but everyone an idea as to how to handle a tough situation like that with confidence and what to not say and how to approach it. We may encounter situations similiar to the one the actors portrayed, so seeing some possible scenarios that could happen helped us so that if something similiar did actually happen, it wouldn't be a complete surprise and that we could defuse the situation.