Member-only story

Theatre of the Oppressed: Empowering Communities Through Participatory Theatre

Philip Bell

·5.2k Followers· Follow

Published in Theatre Of The Oppressed Augusto Boal

5 min read · 2 weeks before

749 View Claps

96 Respond

Save

Listen

Theatre of the Oppressed

by Augusto Boal

4.8 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	922 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	218 pages

A Group Of People Performing Theatre Of The Oppressed. They Are Standing In A Circle, Facing Each Other, And Using Hand Gestures And Facial Expressions To Convey Their Emotions. Theatre Of The Oppressed Augusto Boal

Theatre of the Oppressed is a groundbreaking theatrical form developed by Brazilian theatre practitioner Augusto Boal. It is based on the belief that theatre should not be a passive form of entertainment, but rather an active tool for social change and community empowerment.

History

Theatre of the Oppressed emerged in the 1960s during a period of political upheaval in Brazil. Boal, who was a member of the Brazilian Communist Party, sought to create a form of theatre that would directly address the social and political issues facing the country. He experimented with different theatrical techniques and developed a series of exercises and games that allowed audience members to participate in the performance and explore alternative ways of resolving conflicts.

Principles

The Theatre of the Oppressed is based on the following key principles:

Spectators are not passive observers, but active participants in the performance.
Theatre should be a tool for social change and community empowerment.
Theatre should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their background or experience.
Theatre should be used to explore and challenge social and political issues.

Techniques

The Theatre of the Oppressed uses a variety of techniques to engage audience members and facilitate their participation. These techniques include:

Forum Theatre: In Forum Theatre, the audience is presented with a scene that depicts a social or political problem. The audience members then have the opportunity to stop the performance and replace the actors, trying out different ways of resolving the problem.
Image Theatre: In Image Theatre, the audience members create frozen images that represent different aspects of a social or political issue. The images are then used as a starting point for discussion and exploration.
Invisible Theatre: In Invisible Theatre, the performance takes place in a public space, but the audience is not aware that they are watching a play. This technique can be used to raise awareness about social and political issues and to provoke discussion.

Applications

Theatre of the Oppressed has been used in a wide variety of settings, including:

Education: Theatre of the Oppressed can be used to teach students about social and political issues, and to develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Community development: Theatre of the Oppressed can be used to empower communities and to promote social change.
Therapy: Theatre of the Oppressed can be used to help individuals and groups to explore and resolve personal and social issues.

Impact

Theatre of the Oppressed has had a profound impact on theatre and social change movements around the world. It has inspired the development of new theatrical forms and has been used to address a wide range of social and political issues, including poverty, racism, sexism, and environmental degradation.

Theatre of the Oppressed is a powerful and transformative theatrical form that can be used to empower communities and to promote social change. It is based on the belief that theatre should be a tool for social transformation, and it offers a unique and engaging way to explore and resolve social and political issues.

Theatre of the Oppressed

by Augusto Boal

4.8 out of 5