Augusto Boal (April 16, 1931 - May 2, 2009) was a Brazilian theatre director, writer and politician. He was the founder of Theatre of the Oppressed, a theatrical form originally used in radical popular education movements. Boal served one term as a vereador (the Brazilian equivalent of a city councillor) in Rio de Janeiro from 1993 to 1997, where he developed legislative theatre.
Boal was born in Rio de Janeiro. He took an interest in theatre at an early age, but did not become involved until he received his degree. Shortly after graduating from university, Boal was asked to work with the Arena Theatre in São Paulo, southeast Brazil.It was here that he began to experiment with new forms of theatre.
Boal’s teachings were controversial, and as a cultural activist he was seen as a threat by the Brazilian military regime. In 1971 Boal was arrested and tortured. He was eventually exiled to Argentina, where in 1973 he published his first book Theatre of the Oppressed. He fled to Europe, and eventually lived in Paris. There he taught his revolutionary approach to theatre for 12 years, creating several Centers for the Theatre of Oppressed, and in 1981, organizing the first International Festival for the Theatre of Oppressed.
After the fall of Brazil’s military dictatorship, Boal returned to Rio de Janeiro and established a major Center for the Theater of the Oppressed in Rio (CTO Rio). He started over a dozen theater companies that work to develop community-based projects.
Most of Augusto Boal’s techniques were created after he realized the limitations of didactic politically motivated theatre in the poor areas where he worked. He found that his attempts to inspire the people living in poor or 'slum' areas to rise up against racial and class inequality were inhibited by his own racial and class background, since he was white and comparatively financially comfortable. His new techniques allowed the idea of rebellion and the impetus for change to come from within the target group. Much of his early work and teaching was inspired by Marxist philosophy, although through his career he had not been restricted by this and much of his work now falls within the boundaries of a centre left ideology.
Paulo Freire was a major influence on Boal’s teachings. He and Freire became close in later years. When Freire died, Boal said "I am very sad. I have lost my last father. Now all I have are brothers and sisters".
FORUM THEATRE METHODICS
FORUM THEATRE -WAYS TO START
• From games and plays to Forum theatre
• Values clarification
• Pieces of paper on the floor
• Inventory of subjects
• Sculptures
FORUM THEATRE –AIMS
• To change the spectator from being passive to take a leading part
• To give people a possibility to train for reality and prepare for the future
• To give a chance for mental preparation
• To break internal and external oppression
• To give hope and conviction that oppression can be broken
CREATING FORUM THEATRE – PROCEDURES
• Let everyone tell their thoughts on the subject
• Try some ideas
• Let everyone choose if they want to take part and how
• Never “play” yourself and give the parts fictive names
• Don’t be afraid to use artistic, unrealistic methods
• Remember the framework
• Build in actions and story in the scene. Avoid sitting still in the whole scene
• Keep to one place in the scene
• A forum play shall always be repeated at least once
FORUM TEATRE – PARTS
• Oppressor – making oppression clear
• Oppressed – making oppression clear
• “Middle – people” – neutral in the beginning, will gradually act
• “Joker” – the channel between audience and actors
FORUM THEATRE – HOW O MAKE IR WORK
• Sharp conflict
• Clear oppression
• Engagement
• Clear, miserable ending
• Subject that concerns
• Don’t get stuck in discussions
• Clear parts - interviews
FORUM THEATRE – FRAMEWORK
• A clear and obvious conflict concerning the group
• A scene with app.5 min. acting time
• A scene with a clear oppressor, an oppressed and “middle – people”
• A scene with a miserable end, ending when the oppression is at worst
VALUES CLARIFICAION – RULES
• Accept each other
• Everyone has a right to pass
• Never criticize an opinion…or the person changing his or her opinion
• Speak for yourself “I think…”
• Don’t strive for an end of discussion
VALUES CLARIFICAION – CHARACTERISTICS
• A free choice
• A choice out of many possible alternatives
• A conscious choice considering consequences
• A choice making you pleased and/or proud
• A choice to act by
• Actions that can be repeated
VALUES CLARIFICATION – PURPOSE
• To reflect
• To make standpoints
• To become aware of attitudes
• To train oneself in expressing opinions
• To motivate
• To listen
• To respect
FORUM THEATRE – THE “JOKER”
• Lead the interaction with engagement
• “Warm up”
• Tell the rules
• Introduce the scene and the parts
• Encourage the audience to take part
• Thank the people after taking part
• Don’t express own opinions
• Stop endless discussions
• Sum up the play together with the audience and actors