Theatre of the Oppressed

Augusto Boal developed Theatre of the Oppressed during the 1970s in Brazil. Theatre of the Oppressed is a series of interactive techniques born out of Boal's political and educational work in São Paulo. Theatre of the Oppressed may be utilized by people from all backgrounds to understand oppression through their active participation. Theatre of the Oppressed has evolved over the years from the first version, known as Newspaper Theatre, to Forum Theatre, Image Theatre, and Rainbow of Desire. Workshop attendees today will encounter three different types of events. First there is the orientation regarding the activities of the day with brief discussions that will be ongoing. Second are the activities or games which are meant to stimulate all of the senses in order to ready the participant for the third more structured activity to take place, known as Forum Theatre, which is described as follows.

Boal believed that work in traditional theatre was oppressive in terms of its presentation, in that meaning was dictated to the audience. In Theatre of the Oppressed, a duality is created where members create a dialogue between the actors and the audience. Meaningful scenarios of oppression from their own past are recreated as well as the thoughts, feelings, and experiences associated with those scenes. With the help of the audience as “spect-actors,” the actors are given assistance in developing new strategies and creative solutions to overcome their oppression. In this way, the theatrical act is seen as a rehearsal for social action that fosters critical thinking. Dialogue must be established between participants in order to promote honest discussion. In this way, Boal's work is seen as parallel with that of Paulo Freire, who worked to critically engage the oppressed so that the world around them could be transformed.

There are associations that are currently working in solidarity with Augusto Boal to further this effort. The Pedagogy of Theatre of the Oppressed and the International Theatre of the Oppressed Organization are known for holding Theatre of the Oppressed workshops within the United States, and around the world. Boal's book, Theatre of the Oppressed, gives activists and educators a plethora of ideas to use for discussion with groups. However, L. A. Howard warns that educators must mold these techniques to suit the needs of the participants rather than merely utilizing the activities as a template.