THEATRE OF THE OPPRESSED
A quick information guide prepared by Fallon Sullivan, ‘20
and Theatre Fairfield
We are thrilled that you will be joining us on Thursday, September 24, 2020, 7:00 PM, for our
zoom performance of Theatre of the Oppressed New York City’s (TONYC) USA: U Stand Alone
and scenes from Restricted Places II about the problems faced by immigrants coming to the USA in
the 21 st century. We hope this brief guide will provide useful information to enhance your
enjoyment of the performance. We encourage you to read this packet prior to the show and also to
visit TONYC’s website for further information:
https://www.tonyc.nyc/our-work
“We are all Human, we are all Artists, we are all Actors”
– Augusto Boal (Games for Actors and Non-Actors)
Who is Augusto Boal and What is Theatre of the Oppressed (TO)?
Augusto Boal (1931-2009) was a Brazilian dramatist and political activist who created the
Theatre of the Oppressed―a form of interactive theatre intended to transform spectators into actors
(Spect-actors) to act out solutions to political and social oppressions. Boal believed that theatre is a form of knowledge that can and should be used as a means of transforming society—a “rehearsal for life.” He wanted people to know that theatre is not only a means of learning about social injustices but to effect change. Theatre can help us build our future instead of just waiting for it to happen, and TO, for which no previous theatre training or experience is necessary, can help us do just that. Boal’s work was inspired by his friend Paulo Freire's revolutionary book, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, and he named Theatre of the Oppressed in Freire’s honor. He is the author of six books that chronicle his journey in developing TO as an active practice throughout the world; all of his books are available at DiMenna-Nyselius Library on Fairfield’s campus. As a form of activism and artistic practice, Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed is now used in over 70 countries around the world.
From the Desk of Fallon Sullivan, ‘20
Fairfield University Theatre Graduate on the importance of
Theatre of the Oppressed
When I think about what theatre means to me, my mind goes immediately to the
fact that it is a means to promote social change in our world. No matter the country
or the culture, theatre is a common language for all people. During my four years
as a Visual and Performing Arts major and History minor at Fairfield University, I
found myself challenging my identity as an artist. What kind of artist was I called
to be? What type of art did I want to create? I had always been drawn to theatre
because it was a way of telling stories, both of the world and personal. It created a
vulnerability that allowed both the artists and the audience to connect on a deeper,
more intimate level that created a community bond like no other. However, it was
not until my junior year in Dr. LoMonaco’s office when she introduced me to the
work of Augusto Boal and the Theatre of the Oppressed that I definitely knew
what kind of artist I wanted to be.
Augusto Boal was a political and theatrical activist who created the worldwide
school of theatre, Theatre of the Oppressed (also known as TO). TO is a form of
educational theatre that allows people to identify, understand, and act upon their
oppressions and oppressors, and promote social and political changes in their
communities. Boal believed that “Theatre can be a weapon for liberation,” and that
change in our world is imperative. Now, more than ever, that is true. We need
change, and we need it now, and I believe that theatre is an incredible tool that has
yet to be tapped into.
My senior independent project has been about studying the work Boal and his
creation of Forum Theatre. In this theatrical art form, everyone in the room is a
“spect-actor,” an active spectator who takes part in the action rather than being a
passive audience member. Onstage, an unresolved problem in the community is
acted out, and when the scene is over, the spect-actors are invited to suggest and
enact solutions. The intention of Forum Theatre is to “to transform the spectator
into the protagonist of the theatrical action and, by this transformation, to try to
change society rather than contenting ourselves with merely interpreting it.” I was
drawn to Boal’s work because he strongly believed that theatre is a form of knowledge
that allows us to get to know our individual minds and bodies and the
“body” of our community as a stepping stone to help us to strongly and positively
build our futures. Boal once wrote, “We are all Human, we are all Artists, we are
all Actors.” 4 Thus, my project was born. I worked for a year on raising money and
planning to bring Theatre of the Oppressed NYC (TONYC) to Fairfield’s campus
for a performance and hands-on workshop (which will happen in 2021, post-
COVID) that would teach students the tools to use theatre as a means of social
change.
Although my project was originally supposed to happen in March 2020 before I
graduated, I am grateful to say that Dr. LoMonaco and Julie Mughal have worked
tirelessly to bring TONYC virtually to our Fairfield family for a performance and
post-show discussion on Thursday, September 24th at 7 pm. I do believe that in
our current world, the work that TO has to offer will provide opportunities for
voices to be heard in ways that our current society will otherwise ignore. As
students and alumni of Fairfield University, it is our responsibility to make sure we
are compassionately listening to members of our community and finding ways to
build bridges and fight the social inequalities that the world is throwing in our
paths. It is our duty to help create a safe and hate-free community for all people to
grow. As Boal believes, theatre, as a form of knowledge, can help us build our
future instead of waiting for it. 5
Thank you for all those who supported and sponsor my studies and journey to
creating my senior project. A special thank you to Dr. LoMonaco and Julie
Mughal, who guided my studies, gave me endless support and continued to work to
bring TONYC to campus even after I have graduated. I hope to see as many faces
as I can in the virtual performance and post-show discussion on Thursday,
September 24th!
TONYC website info
What is your mission?
Theatre of the Oppressed NYC partners with communities fighting against oppression to inspire transformative action through theatre.
What communities do you work with?
We serve and work with people of color, LGBTQ youth, criminally-involved youth, homeless people, people living with HIV/AIDS, sex trafficking survivors, recent immigrants, young women, and more.
What is Theatre of the Oppressed/how do you use Theatre of the Oppressed?
Theatre of the Oppressed is an interactive, physical, and playful process used to investigate alternative responses to situations in which people encounter oppressive situations. Participants from affected communities come together as actors, directors, playwrights, designers, and producers to create, and eventually facilitate, their own original Forum Theater performances.
This is the format of a TONYC performance: a troupe performs their original play, in which each scene depicts a specific obstacle based on actors’ real-life experiences; this is followed by a “forum” in which a facilitator asks audience members to come on stage and step into the role of the protagonist to try out an alternative response to the problem(s) depicted onstage. Throughout the forum a trained TO ‘joker’ facilitates dialogue about the potential of each alternative, and what social, legal, legislative and/or institutional changes could make various alternatives viable. These interactive forums have proven to be an effective, inspiring way to engage audiences in a laboratory to ‘rehearse’ practical, creative actions that we can individually and collectively take to challenge systems of oppression.
What is the origin of TONYC?
TONYC was founded in November 2010, by Katy Rubin. After training with Augusto Boal, creator of the Theatre of the Oppressed methodology, in Rio in 2008, Katy returned to New York to find a lack of "popular theatre" (interactive theatre created by communities facing oppression) here. After working for several years as a teaching artist and actor, Katy started our first popular theatre troupe, Concrete Justice, in 2010.
What is your creative process?
Theatre of the Oppressed is an interactive, physical, and playful process used to investigate alternative responses to situations in which people encounter oppressive situations. Participants from affected communities come together as actors, directors, playwrights, designers, and producers to create, and eventually facilitate, their own original Forum Theater performances.
In building the plays as a community, we start by playing games, largely from the arsenal of games outlined by Augusto Boal in Games for Actors and Non-Actors. The games serve to introduce “de-mechanization”, Boal’s term for breaking down the way that we have been trained to understand and interact with the world. Participants develop solidarity as a community through playful exercises that introduce silliness, confusion, and “failure” to the creative process. Actors let go of perceived expectations or limitations on their identity through re-imagining new possibilities.
How do you navigate conflict and difference when talking about controversial issues in your plays?
Augusto Boal talked about inviting dissent as a part of TO, and using TO as a way to address differences, so as a staff we try to practice what we preach and use a lot of TO in working out organizational challenges.
What is the purpose of the games in Theatre of the Oppressed?
The games each have a purpose in the TO process. Some are more for breaking the ice and allowing
participants to connect, while others are concerned with “de-mechanization”, Boal’s term for allowing your mind to open to different possibilities. For example, one game that we use often is “Opposite of Jackson”. In this game participants are asked to do the opposite of a movement they usually do “automatically” (like stopping when instructed to walk). In order to do this participants realize they have to re-activate their thinking so that they can follow the game.
What is Forum Theatre?
Forum Theatre is what makes us different from other theatre organizations in NYC. The interactive aspect is liberating for both the forum actors and the audience (spect-actors). We work with both audiences of peers, such as clients of HIV clinics and homeless shelters, and also audiences of diverse allies who may not be personally affected by the problems addressed. In these circumstances, we occasionally get reluctant audiences but we experiment with creative ways to inspire the audience to join the action. Forum theatre is the cornerstone of our work and central to our mission.
What is Legislative Theatre?
Legislative Theatre operates as means of creating laws, through theatre, that are developed by the people directly affected by these laws. This practice was a later development in the Theatre of the Oppressed canon. It emerged as an outgrowth of a shift in Augusto Boal’s means of challenging existing power structures. In 1992, Boal was elected Vereador of Rio, a position similar to that of a City Council Member in the United States. This position and his prior experiences advocating against oppressive laws inspired him to create a
theatre form that would turn the true will of the people into law. The core idea of Legislative Theatre is that often the root of an oppressive problem is found in oppressive laws, which necessitates a change in the law to resolve the problem. Boal’s membership of an existing legislative body was key to the ability of the theatrical process to produce ideas that would be considered and potentially acted on by the elected officials of Rio. As Vereador, Boal used half of his staff budget to hire Jokers that then pioneered Legislative Theatre with community groups. During these legislative events, the community created proposals which were submitted as potential laws to Boal who in turn brought them before the legislature. Thirteen laws resulted from this process.
What are your intentions/goals?
- Within troupes?
Community Building, Benefits to Actors’ Lives, Enabling actors to become activists
- For spectators?
Open Shows: Building solidarity, awareness, and audiences who can take action
Shelter/Clinic Shows: Allowing members of the community to participate in the brainstorming process
- Different areas of the tree of TO?
Legislative Theatre
Documentary, Poetry Book, Other Art Forms
How are you funded?
- Individuals: Membership, Events, Online Campaigns
- Grants: Government, Corporate, Foundation
- Earned Income: Workshops, Troupes, Joker Training Weekends, T-shirt and Book Sales
How can I get involved?
- Come to a performance or event
- Come to or host a workshop
- Sign up to volunteer
