Katy Rubin, the executive and artistic director of Theatre of the Oppressed NYC, discusses how her troupe uses theater as tool for policy change. For one, their actors are individuals from local NYC nonprofits and their audience is partly composed of local legislators.

Actors Cheyenne Clayton, of the Covenant House group and Roy “Real” Benton, of the CASES Brooklyn Justice Corps group, act out a scene from this year's festival, which focuses on issues surrounding mass incarceration. New York City Councilman and Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer joins the conversation. Is the acting good? Not his concern. Does its plot point to realistic ideas for changes in policy? He'll let us know. 

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The festival of legislative theatre is on Thursday June 4th and Friday June 5th at 7 PM at The New School, 66 West 12th Street, New York, NY

Participating NYC elected officials include: City Council Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer; City Council Member Carlos Menchaca; City Council Member Jumaane Williams, City Council Member Stephen Levin; Public Advocate Letitia James; and Samuel Miller from U.S. Housing and Urban Development.