Theatre of the Oppressed

Catalog description

Taught by SKSM. Theater of the Oppressed is a collection of games, techniques, exercises for using theater as a vehicle for personal and social change. It uses the dynamized human body and the charged theatrical space as laboratories for exploring power, transforming oppression, and finding community-building solutions to the fundamental problems of conflict, inequality, injustice, and human suffering. Based on the radical pedagogy of Paolo Freire and Augusto Boal, it is a collective artistic exploration into the fullest expression of our human dignity, potential, and creativity. This introductory class will cover the theory, application and facilitation of TO, including: . Demechanization . Dynamization . Image Theater . Forum Theater . Rainbow of Desire/Cop-in-the-head . Theory & Pedagogy These techniques will be introduced with the goal of understanding their application as practical and essential tools for artistic development, creative expression, social engagement, and personal transformation, while developing spontaneity, fluidity, presence, and critical intelligence. The workshop will be 80% experiential and 20% reflective/didactic. No prior theater or performance experience is required. Elements and theories of related counter-oppressive approaches will also be introduced, and prominent practitioners of TO or popular education may be invited as guest facilitators. [Faculty Consent required; 25 max enrollment]