“Act Out Ensemble” Acts Out Emancipation 175

In 2020, Sayeeda Carter brought together a group of adults who talked about issues in the community. The online conversations shared what the group envisioned they could do to bring awareness to those matters. “Act Out Ensemble” was born from those talks and Carter’s background in theater. Founder and Director of the organization, she said, “We can do all of what we spoke about through the use of forum theater.”

Forum Theater uses theater to achieve social aims. It is a form of theater that encourages audience interaction and explores different options for dealing with a problem or issue, Carter said.

Act Out Ensemble – Theater of the Oppressed Virgin Islands was the original name of the organization with its theatrical approach to community issues and its concentration on work with adults.

“And now, we’re taking on new things, which is doing more with young people – creating/helping them in their ability to do ethnographic histories and some historical monologue work.”

Carter worked with four different sets of students, all young men, who graduated from Good Hope Country Day School, St. Croix Central High School, St. Croix Educational Complex High School, and Free Will Baptist School. Some are attending colleges on the mainland. The plan is to keep in touch via Zoom, social media, and chatting.

Carter is giving these young people the mission to pay attention to the Virgin Islands. They are invited to continue as part of Act Out Ensemble.

According to Carter, AOE is mostly an adult organization. A lot has been done through her teaching and as a member of the community, she said.

“My goal is to captivate these young people into being a part of AOE. In addition to historical monologues, they interviewed people in the community, as well.” The interviewers are students who are traveling to the mainland and others will be studying at the University of the Virgin Islands. One student is an 11th grader at SCECHS.