Lily Hamilton - The Roof is On Fire - Week 2

The artists in The Roof is On Fire engaged a form of voyeurism to invite the audience into the space. Having a conversation about the world with your friends in a car is a universal experience and something that is very prevalent in most teens' lives. I feel like this strategy is highly affective; by letting the audience watch and listen to these scenarios but not invite them to participate, the artists and collaborators have given them a sense of security. It also invites them to truly and deeply listen to what is being said by the artists because the members of the audience aren't trying to think of the next thing they are going to say which often happens in normal conversation. In addition, I think that having them outside the cars and, again, separate from the teens hammers in the theme of adults stereotyping teens and highlights how teens aren't given a voice outside of the comfort of their cars. Lastly, I think that the improvisational nature of the text itself allows the performers to learn and engage with one another as well as the audience. It allows them to think critically, make connections, and form arguments that they can build upon as the performance continues and as they grow up and become adults who have voices.