Theatre of the Oppressed by Augusto Boal EPUB

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Theatre of the Oppressed by Augusto Boal EPUB

Is the fundamental relationship between an actor and an audience an equal and active one, or is it a situation that encourages passivity and division? This is the question at the heart of Augusto Boal's revolutionary Theatre of the Oppressed, originally published in 1979. Boal has written a work that challenges the very premise of Western theatre, starting with Aristotle and the first dramatists, and explores what social constructs lie behind the traditional theatre form. He developed a series of imaginative theatre exercises which promote awareness of one's social situation and its limitations, individual attitudes, and even how our bodies are bound by tradition. Then, having explained such often invoked (but rarely scrutinized) terms as imitation, tragedy, and justice, he puts forward a new type of drama that bridges the long-existing gap between theatre and politics. Central to his thesis is an attempt to bring spectators into an active role with the drama, encouraging them to comment on the social situations they see presented and suggest potentials for change.

Augusto Boal was a Brazilian dramatist, playwright, director, and activist. He began his career with the Arena Theatre in São Paulo, where he developed his theories. Inspired by revolutionary educator Paulo Freire, he began experimenting with different forms of theatre. His work was considered subversive by the military junta then ruling Brazil, and in 1971 he was arrested and tortured. He spent the next 15 years in exile. During this period, Boal published Teatro do oprimido e outras poéticas políticas. The Theatre of the Oppressed, a form of interactive theatre intended to transform lives as spectators become performers, acting out solutions to social problems.

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