On May 3rd and May 4th, YO S.O.S. performed their culminating shows from a 3 month collaboration with Theatre of the Oppressed NYC. The youth developed 2 plays which were based on their real life experiences and which touched on many issues including the school to prison pipeline, family and peer pressure, the criminal justice system, and youth violence.

The first show took place at Repair the World, where the youth performed for a crowd of 30 people including friends and family members. The second show was at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, where more than 50 community members attended.

On both nights, the audience was asked to identify problems faced by the characters in the show and then were given a chance to come on stage and reenact the scene, making different choices in order to produce a better outcome. The evenings were filled with conversation as audience members and actors wrestled with the problems showcased on stage and proposed solutions towards a safer and healthier community.

The group put on their third and final performance on May 13th at BRIC as part of the annual Theatre of the Oppressed Legislative Theatre Festival.