Publisher's Synopsis
This book looks at dramatist Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed and the wider framework in which it operates. The focus is on the semiotic aspects of theatre, where numerous elements tend to follow certain codes and conventions. When approaching theatre as a language, these conventions can be subverted in order to convey particular statements. Boal's work draws from the Marxist drama of Bertolt Brecht (and the crucial concept of 'dialectics') as well as Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed.
Boal conceives oppression as the absence of dialogue, and his aesthetic language developed in the context of a military coup in his native Brazil. At that time, one challenge was to provide people with a system of symbols through which to pair the written and spoken languages; Boal also formulated the concept of 'spect-actor'. Some have claimed that the method has since grown dogmatic, but Boal is certainly no icon of oppression. Many theatre companies specialise in tackling specific societal issues that can lead to isolation and social apartheid, supported by policies and funding bodies that seek greater social cohesion. Augusto Boal's theatre offers a universal language that contests the discourses of domination and provides a democratic arena in which to question and transform the status quo. This is the essence of the Theatre of the Oppressed: Rehearse it. Play it. See it. Change it. Augusto Boal's theatre encourages a social revolution that begins onstage.
