Exploring  the  Theater  of  the  Oppressed  at  the  Ivy  League            Luisa  Rosas,  Ph.D.  Candidate,  Romance  Studies  

         GRTF  Program,  Cornell  University  

What is the Theater of the Oppressed?

Objectives

The Project: Guest participation in Inga Gruß’s First Year Writing Seminar, Culture, Representation and Power

Theater of the Oppressed Workshop: Questions & Responses

Reflection

The  70  minute  Gme  limit  presented  a  challenge.  Having  a  single  chance  to  explain  to  the  students  the  details  of  Boal’s  intricate  Forum  Theater  was  not  easy  given  how    the  construcGon  of  the  play  is  made  up  of  many  parts.   Further,   my   role   as   an   outsider   made   it   difficult   to   establish   a   rapport   of   trust   with   the   students.  Nevertheless,  they  were,  for  the  most  part,  very  engaged  and  they  parGcipated  well.    Students  also  struggled  with  being  vulnerable  and  few  were  willing  to  share  situaGons  that  reflected  a  genuine  struggle.    

Pre-­‐ques(ons:  How  might  theater  be  used  as  a  means  for  engagement  with  the  materials  covered  in  this  course?  How  might  it  facilitate  (or  obstruct)  one's  understanding  of  posiGonality,  objecGvity  and  subjecGvity?  

Post-­‐ques(ons:  Describe  your  journey  during  the  70  minutes  theater  workshop.  Think  of  the  quesGons  you  were  asked  prior  to  aWending  the  workshop.  How  did  creaGng  a  Forum  play  facilitate  or  obstruct  your  understanding  of   the  materials  in  this  course?    

The   use   of   Boal’s   Theater   of   the   Oppressed   in   a   space   of   privilege   such   as   Cornell   merits   careful  consideraGon.  Yet   I  would  do   it  again  based  on  students’  reacGons.  Many  of  them  felt  drawn  outside  their  comfort  zones  and  yet  based  on  their  wriWen  responses,  it  seemed  their  views  on  issues  of  race,  gender  and  equality  seemed  to  have  gained    more  nuance.  A  few  students  did  not  see  the  link  between  the  class  content  and  the  workshop.  In  the  future  I  would  make  this  link  more  explicit.    

Challenges

Augusto   Boal’s   Theater   of   the   Oppressed   aims   for   the   presentaGon   of   a   play   and   its   analysis.   The   Joker  system,  a   system   in  which   the   Joker  or  neutral   facilitator   is  both   commentator  and  guide   in   the  unfolding  drama,   funcGons   on   two   levels:   first,   allowing   theater   to   develop   as   “fable”   and   secondly   allowing   it   to  funcGon  also  as  a  lecture.  The  plays  that  are  performed  are  wriWen  by  a  team  of  actors  and  are  inspired  by  the  real  challenges  they  face  in  their  daily  lives.  The  Theater  of  the  Oppressed  becomes  a  courtroom  in  which  judgments  are  passed  and  the  spect-­‐actor’s  (acGve  spectator  parGcipant)  intervenGon  can  alter  the  outcome  of  any  given  scenario.            Interested  in  seeing  how  theater  might  be  beWer  incorporated  into  daily  classroom  acGviGes,  I  found  that  the  format   of   Boal’s   Theater   of   the   Oppressed   could   allow   students   to   talk   about   issues   of   race,   class   and  privilege   in  a  new  way,  and   I  was  eager   to  apply   this   theater   in  order   to   shib   their  perspecGves  and   their  relaGon  to  power,  even  if  only  momentarily.        

Students  were  given  quesGons  before  and  aber  the  theater  workshop.  Aber  some  iniGal  theater  exercises  to  warm  up  the  students  and  allow  them  to  establish  trust  as  a  team,  they  were  divided  into  small  groups  and  were  given  the  task  of  wriGng  a  play  based  on  their  experiences.  Students  were  asked  to  describe  a  scenario  in   which   they   needed   something   and  were   unable   to   aWain   it.   Once   the   scenario  was   sketched   out   they  would  stage  the  play  for  their  classmates.  Aber  the  play  was  performed  and  the  scene  resulted  in  their  failure  to  aWain  whatever  it  is  they  were  seeking  out,  the  spect-­‐actors  would  intervene  and  replace  the  protagonist,  trying   to   perform   the   play   differently   and   thus   aWain   different   outcomes   either   by   side-­‐stepping   or  confronGng  the  obstacle.      

Working  alongside  Inga  Gruß,  I  guest  lectured  in  her  First  Year  WriGng  Seminar  and  helped  structure  a  Forum  play   in   70   minutes.   Her   class,   enGtled   Culture,   Representa.on   and   Power,   dealt   with   promoGng   self-­‐reflexivity   in   the   classroom   and   making   students   aware   of   their   own   posiGonality   in   knowing   and  understanding  the  world.  Boal’s  objecGves  seemed  deeply  compaGble  with  the  focus  of  the  class.    

Methods

Create   empatheGc   readers   and   reduce   resistance   to   concepts   that   students   are   unfamiliar   and  uncomfortable  discussing,  such  as  issues  of  class,  gender,  race  and  privilege.  Allow  students  to  see  how  they,  in  their  daily  lives,  are  oppressed.  Inspire  solidarity  with  those  that  are  oppressed  in  different  social  contexts  from  their  own.    

“I think the theater workshop forced me to act a little more vulnerably than expected.” “It provided a real-life context for me to see where some of the concepts we've learned in class can be applied. The workshop showed me that there are many instances in life in which it is impossible to get what you need even if you deserve it. This exercise was a great way to build on the ideas we've learned about in class regarding white man's privilege and class distinction.” “Creating a forum play based around failure reinforced the notion that not all things are equal and fair. It showed that some people a destined to fail from the beginning due to the framework of their existence (the framework in this case being the criteria for the play). This act symbolized key concepts from class including class, privilege, and power.”

“Theater is a form of knowledge; it should and can also be a means of transforming society. Theater can help us build our future, rather than just waiting for it.” Augusto Boal