Theatre and DemocracyRoots in ancient Greece where the political

satire of current affairs often invited an open-minded investigation

This was an important part of Athenian democracy

Shakespeare, by many, is considered a political playwright

King Lear and Macbeth both examine the lust for power and dramatize political leadership

Agit Prop Theatre

DO YOU WANT TO JOIN?

1. Do you want to conquer coldness? 2. Do you want to conquer hunger? 3. Do you want to eat? 4. Do you want to drink?

Hurry up to join the strike team of exemplary labor.

*Agit Prop from agitation and propaganda

Luis Valdez and Teatro Campesino

Theatre of the OppressedAnother powerful and successful model for

working with marginalized people was developed by Brazilian director, Augusto Boal.

Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed is a form of community-based education that uses theatre as a tool for transformation.

Augusto Boal began his work in Brazil during a time of great oppression and poverty.

Theatre of the OppressedPeople could be severely punished for any type

of political activism even something as mild as participating in a play, telling their story, complaining publicly about the political regime or participating in any unapproved social activity. Most theatre activities needed approval by the state to be sanctioned. Boal (2001) was imprisoned and tortured for his activities and attempts to motivate people politically.

Brecht and BoalBoal developed Theatre of the Oppressed out of

“the teaching plays” of Bertolt Brecht and then shaped Brecht’s theories through his work with peasant populations in the slums of Brazil.

His performances empowered the audience to enact, analyze and change their situation.

Brecht’s Epic Theatre was the first to address the spectator in a different way

No longer were they sitting back passively enjoying the show

Aristotle’s Infuences In developing his model, Boal (1985) explores in

depth Aristotle’s system of tragedy that works to carry out the basic task of purging the undesirable elements in the hero and elements considered to be antisocial.

According to this model, one does not have a universe of definite accepted values, one has a false perspective.

Only ethically defined societies would permit this system to function. “This system functions to diminish, placate, satisfy. Eliminate all that can break the balance – all, including the revolutionary, transforming impetus”

Boal insists that this Aristotelian system cannot be used by revolutionary groups in revolutionary times. “That is, while the social ethos is not clearly defined, the tragic scheme cannot be used, for the simple reason that the character’s ethos will not find a clear social ethos that it can confront. The coercive system of tragedy can be used before or after the revolution…but never during it” (p. 46).

Boal’s Thesis In his writings Boal (1985) argues that art

historically has been in the hands of the dominant class.

He agrees with Marx in that this is so because it is only the dominant class that has the means to disseminate it.

Historical InfluencesBertolt Brecht (1898-1956) was a formative

influence on the work of Augusto Boal and introduced new insights on how theatre had been traditionally viewed in the Western world.

Brecht envisioned a new theatre, one where the spectator is involved.

First of all Brecht disagreed with the Realists, in that he thought theatre should “make strange” the actions on the stage.

BrechtThis was referred to as “verfremdunseffect” and

was translated as the “alienation effect” or “A-effect”, although the actual meaning is “to make strange” (Ewen,1967).

Brecht (1940;1964) describes the “alienation effect” as follows:

BrechtA common use of the A-effect is when someone

says: ‘Have you ever really looked carefully at your watch?’ The questioner knows that I’ve looked at it often enough, and now his question deprives me of the sight which I’ve grown use to and which accordingly has nothing more to say to me. I used to look it to see the time, and now when he asks me in this importunate way I realize that I have given up seeing the watch itself with an astonished eye; and it is many ways an astonishing piece of machinery.

(Brecht, 1964 p.144)

Brecht’s intention was to never allow the audience to confuse what they witnessed on stage as reality. He argued that realistic staging gives action a sense of stability and that this can suggest that society is unchangeable.

He hated that the audience was unable to participate in a theatrical event and was reduced to such a passive role.

Brecht cont.Brecht (1964) wanted the spectator to be

critical, to assume that he/she is expected to respond to the play, which is a comment upon society.

Brecht thought that all the production elements of the theatre - scenery, lighting, music, etc. - are all intended to comment upon the action on stage as well..

The mechanics of the theatre were also to be visible.

The musicians would be on the stage.

The audience could see the set changes and the lighting instruments.

To the same end, Brecht (1964) encouraged his actors to think of their role in the third person.

In performance the actor “alienates” rather than impersonates his/her character and would demonstrate his/her character’s behavior rather than identifying with it.

BrechtAccording to Brecht (1964), one way an actor

alienates him/herself and audiences from the character is to contrast the actor’s own present-time self-awareness on the stage to the historicity of the character. “An actor should never lose himself in the character but demonstrate the character as a function of socio-historic relations, a conduit of particular choices” (Diamond, 1996). In this way the actor could comment on the role as he/she was presenting it to the audience.

Brecht (1964) thought the underlying purpose of theatre was to alert the audience to its responsibility to society and not be lulled into a false sense of security.

Brecht thought his theatre resembled the epic poem and for that reason his work is referred to as Epic Theatre. (Brecht, 1964; Brock, 1999).

In the oral tradition of the epic poem, the story is presented from the viewpoint of a single storyteller, alternating between narration and dialogue.

Brecht cont.

It can ‘tell’ about some scenes and ‘show’ others. In addition, Epic Theatre has the freedom to alter place and time.

Similar to other forms of theatre that we will be exploring, the ultimate effect of Brecht’s drama is outside the theatre, inviting the audience to seek desirable social reform (Brockett, 1999).

Boal and BrechtIn this respect, Boal borrowed considerably from

Brecht in developing his model of Theatre of the Oppressed.

Boal, having spent most of his life in a country ruled by an oppressive regime, agrees with Brecht that a theatre that attempts to change society cannot incorporate dramatic action that leads to the re-establishing of equilibrium.

BoalIn response to a poem by Bertolt Brecht, titled

“On the Everyman Theatre” (Brecht,1961), Boal (1985) passionately expresses his views on the need for art to be accessible and not just for the elite

BoalArt is immanent to all men, and not only a select

few; art is not to be sold, no more than are breathing, thinking, loving. Art is not merchandise. But for the bougeoisie everything is a commodity: man is a commodity. And this being so, all things that man produces will likewise be commodities. Everything is prostituted in the bourgeois system, art as well as love. Man is the supreme prostitute of the bourgeoisie.

(Boal, 1985, p.109)

BoalFor Boal, empathy is the most dangerous

weapon in theatre (Boal, 1985).

No longer are the people passive observers but they are transformed into “actors” with power to change dramatic action.

At the very least, the spectator assumes a protagonist role and is capable of trying out solutions and discussing plans for change. They train themselves for real action. In this sense, theatre is a rehearsal for the revolution.