MILWAUKEE — On the other side of the auditorium doors was a life-changing story told through the eyes of Milwaukee's very own children.
"You never leave the same way you came," said Gloria Rogers.
Kids as young as three years old took center stage to bring 'Wake Up and Pay Attention', a play written by director Gloria Rogers, to life.
The play, that's been revised over the years, confronts the current issues facing Milwaukee's Black and Brown communities through dance, singing, spoken word, and more.
"I wrote something called I am enough which is a piece that you will hear in the play," said 21-year-old Jakira Austin.
"We have people that are on drugs, we have people committing suicide, we've got gang violence, you have children that are being abused by parents," said Kenyata Strong, the play's assistant director.
13-year-old Jayden Carver, like so many of his fellow performers in the play, said he couldn't sit by and ignore the issues. So he decided to do something about it.
"My character's name is called Tech, and he's like a hood dude, he doesn't listen, he isn't in class and is in the streets," said Carver. "It's a lot of kids my age that's in the streets stealing cars. I just wanted to make a change and lead by example."
The production also highlights the importance of giving a voice to the city's youth and hearing their concerns.
"In the future I want my kids to be able to do what they want outside without me having to worry about if they're getting hurt or not," said another performer, Jerimyha Freeman.
"People can get delivered or ministered to through the music or situations of the characters," said Jason Price.
And the hope is that through their performance these children will be able to change the narrative and save lives.
If you'd like to become a part of the next production, you can email Gloria Rogers at grogersa@yahoo.com.
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