Rachel Perzynski 

The Theatre School commissioned renowned Chicago playwright Ike Holter to write a play about the Underground Railroad for its 2016-2017 Theatre for Young Audiences season. Since it was to be performed for hundreds of Chicago Public School students, my team and I created materials for them to engage with before and after their visit. Throughout the process, the question of how to address heavy subject matter like slavery in the United States within a TYA context remained at the forefront of my mind. In discussion and within the actor packet materials, I had to find a balance between focusing on the hardships that enslaved people faced and providing a sense of empowerment through the untold stories of heroes from both the past and present who fought systematic oppression.