Upon meeting Susana Ventura, who is the brains behind Penny Arcade, I felt extremely intimidated because her work totally strayed from my usual perception of theater. Nevertheless, at the end, I came to realize what her works and her words truly stand for. Currently, one of her prominent topics is the increase in gentrification within New York City and how it has caused a decrease in cultural diversification. Back when she ran away from home and came upon the cultural hub that was this city, she became enveloped with East Village. One could easily find Filipino, Italian, Ukrainian, and Middle Eastern food within that neighborhood, but as time went by, there has been rapid displacement of immigrants in favor of wealthier residents. Formerly, whenever she told people she lived in the Lower East Side, people would become puzzled, but now that area has become a place filled with art galleries and trendy bars. Overall, she laments the loss and change of identity that New York has endured, but what spoke most to me was how she portrayed and emphasized her opinions. Moreover, she did give us many pointers about life. Doing theater for over 50 years enables more experiences that one can imagine. She said that the ages of 18-30 are the years where people can express themselves freely because there are no responsibilities and we have the ability to learn and try new experiences. Then, the ages of 30-50 are when people typically go through their mid-life crisis because they begin to look back on their lives and regret the opportunities that they creased to take advantage of. Lastly, after turning 50, there seems to be a fresh new start. It’s basically your second chance in life because in many ways, the freedom returns and the expectations begin to dwindle as you adapt the mindset of just enjoying life. What I enjoy most about the elements of her work is how she wants everything to be authentic. She explained that at some of her burlesque shows, she hires actual strippers because its more natural and presents a greater opportunity for those in the business. Also, the way she gives monologues provides a first hand and more personal insight into how passionate she is about what she talks about and the issues going on in the world. Most of all, she’s a real person. Most people are too afraid to speak out on certain political and social issues, so I admire her confidence and motivation to speak her heart and hopefully influence others to do the same.