“the Art of Tough Talks” is an applied theater & interactive workshop created by Michelle Lang-Raymond in 2014 as a response to the swell of polarizing rhetoric that came as a result of the verdict in the Mike Brown case (Ferguson, Missouri). Lang-Raymond determined to craft a way utilize the arts to help people from varying backgrounds have more meaningful discussions on often polarizing subjects. The Art of Tough Talks utilizes the techniques of applied theater to foster conversation, reflection, education and actions that lead to problem solving on hard topics like justice, equity, politics and identity.
This work is staffed by a small cast of talented actors and skilled facilitators who strategically invite participants to deconstruct ideologies, discuss alternative perspectives, and determine preferred productive outcomes. The Art of Tough Talks program has served a wide variety of groups and projects including high schools, churches, human resource trainings, activism events and college campuses to name a few.