Sweeping Statements
written and performed by Judith Sloan for Yo Miss!
Being a teenager can be really hard. Especially if you’ve flunked out of school. Or your dad has disappeared. Or you’re incarcerated at a juvenile detention center and don’t see much hope for the future. And teaching those teenagers can be pretty hard too, as Judith Sloan can attest. She works with at-risk youth, teaching theater, writing, and juggling in alternative schools and jails. Most of her students are angry and at first reluctant to express themselves. But often, with some coaxing, they eventually do. And then Judith finds ways to shape their words and expressions into stories that are part-drama, part-documentary, and part-music. One story in particular, Sweeping Statements, explores this process and the complicated lives of Judith’s students.
Written, produced, edited and performed by Judith Sloan. Music composed and performed by Taylor Rivelli. Trumpets Dave Guy. Music sequencing by Tomek Gross and Judith Sloan. Mixed by Ryan West. Winner Missouri Review, National Audio Competition.
Sweeping Statements is part of Judith Sloan’s Yo Miss! play.
LISTEN HERE: