PLACA presents: Jos� Miguel Hernandez and Christen Smith

Popular Theater, Youth and Empowerment on Two Continents Panelists: José Miguel Hernandez Program Director, La Joven Guardia del Teatro Latino, Syracuse Christen Smith Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin In recent years, popular theater has been increasingly used throughout the world as a way to empower youth, raise consciousness, articulate public issues and organize for social change. This panel considers two cases of popular theatre: Choque Cultural in Salvador, Brazil, that focuses on the issues of racism and police brutality; and La Joven Guardia del Teatro Latino in Syracuse, that focuses on raising the self-esteem of Latino youth. Because the program in Salvador is more self-consciously political than the program in Syracuse, this panel will raise important questions about the nature of “politics” and the role of the arts in social change. This panel is part of the Re-Imagining the Americas Conference Series. For more information , visit ww.maxwell.syr.edu/moynihan/placa/Annual_Conference/