TPSU Zoomcast

The latest iteration of our one-of-a-kind workshop To Protect, Serve and Understand™ invites past participants to continue the work needed to foster a change between tense police and civilian interactions, expectations, and accountability. Breaking down the fourth wall through art, activism, and discussion, the workshop is built upon actor-training techniques and explores unique problem solving and real-life communication skills that both police and civilians can employ in their encounters with each other. Creating an understanding that lays the groundwork for a grassroots change within the community, the virtual workshop simulation will be moderated by members of the Irondale Ensemble.

While the 10-week, 40-hour, in-person workshops have been held biannually since 2015, the last two cycles of To Protect, Serve and Understand (TPSU) have been sidelined due to the extended COVID theater closures in New York City. Following a summer of protests and a widespread demand for racial equality and police reform, the evening offers conversations about real-time current events in the community and on a national scale through the participation of workshop alumni.

Viewers will have a front-row seat to the effective acting exercises that employ critical listening skills, in addition to scripted monologues based on the participants interviewing each other. This methodology proves that speaking as “the other” enables the participants to gain a new perspective that potentially leads to greater compassion and greater understanding.

The monologues, with dialogue and in-depth conversations on topical issues, will comprise the evening. The goal of both the evening and the program at large is to foster empathy and a deeper understanding of how we can work together to create a more safe and harmonious community.