Rehearsal for Revolution
Thursday January 16th in a community house, members of the United Artists for Social Change (UASC), the International Communist Workers’ Party (ICWP) and other community leaders gathered to make art. The 10th Anniversary of the ICWP was having its convention in 2 days and the goal of the artistic gathering was to develop a theatrical performance to perform at the convention and inspire the communist movement through art.
Although it was the first time meeting each other for many of the participants, and many had no traditional theatre experience, the 3-hour workshop / rehearsal produced a foundation and skeleton for the communist theatre skit that the members were satisfied with.
The workshop facilitated by members of the UASC opened with a conversation as to what Communism is. Followed by theatrical exercises that analyzed the use of Politics, Media and Culture by the capitalist system in order to keep the idea of communism tainted, unheard, and criminalized.
One of the participants mentioned later “It was a really welcoming space. I learned a lot about how people can learn about a complicated topic through theater.”
All the workshop members participated in sharing the misconceived notions that social barriers like the Media imposed on our society. Then the comrades of the ICWP responded with the truth of the communist idea the skit was formed. A community Leader M. commented, “I think the group needed more facilitation when emotions ran high.” This is a frequent comment made at these kind of rehearsals due to the unorthodox nature of the style of theatre practiced and the subject at hand.
Comrade B. of the ICWP said after the workshop, “It was a great learning experience for me. I learned that there is a lot of potential to explain communist ideas and inspire people in this way.”
Members of the UASC found the meeting to be a success because that is exactly what the goal of the organization is: “To use art to Liberate ourselves by expressing what oppresses us.”
“In the end of the day what we are really here to do is learn,” commented B, a UASC member.
The session ended with the foundation for the skit set, people exchanged numbers and contact information, hugs and goodbyes were given. The group was ready for the performance.
Day of the Convention
Saturday afternoon the UASC group drove to the convention, rehearsing their lines and developing their characters on the way there. Once the theatre troupe had arrived they met with an ICWP comrade to rehearse with him since he was playing the role of the communist voice defeating the social barriers of Media, Politics, and Culture in the skit. After about 20 minutes of rehearsal, they were ready to perform during the dinner ceremony.
The UASC with comrade R. took the stage and got the multi-racial and international crowd of about 75 people inspired. The crowd reacted with boos, laughs, and screams until comrade R. asked the people to help break down these social barriers by standing strong and saying what communism really is.
Before anyone could respond, someone in the audience jumped on stage with a red flag in her hand and knocked down the barriers with the red flag. Once this happened people from the audience began to sing and clap. The crowd was energized and activated. The goal was achieved.
The Convention was a success. The workshops were insightful and candid. The topics discussed are necessary conversations that our generations need to be having in order to make a communist society a reality.
The need for Communist art to spread communist ideals is inexorable in the movement. The UASC is looking forward to collaborating with the ICWP in developing workshops and methodologies that will transmit all the means of artistic production to all the working class, Music, Theatre, Paint, Poetry, Dance, Art, and learning from each other.
As the Educational and Artistic Revolution unfolds so will the Revolution of the minds and leaders of our society and Future.
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