After participating for several months in a theater workshop conducted by Nadia, a group of teens from the Hope Community Center performed their Theater of the Oppressed piece Jaguar You? The title of the piece is a play on words as the Spanish word jaguar is pronounced very much like the English words how are. The play was written by the teens themselves and it is based on their own experiences and issues.The piece was done in the style of Forum Theater, and was presented in two open performances to the community and a private performance for the teens’ peers who are part of the Hope Community Center’s Youth Group SIn Fronteras.

Through the process and the performance, the teens have been able to find their own voice and have used it to express themselves, talk about their own issues, and discuss the oppression they experience. In addition the piece engaged the community as through the forum, the audience was invited to discuss the issues and propose solutions. The creative process and theater workshops promoted self-reflection and personal growth, and the teens learned valuable life skills. Nadia is very proud of the teens. They did an outstanding job!