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2. Why theatre and what is “Forum Theatre”?

"Theatre is a form of knowledge: It should and can also be a means of transforming society. Theatre can help us build our future, rather than just waiting for it."[9]

Theatre can strengthen the emotional and psychological appeal of messages and provides a believable and interesting way to explore sensitive issues. It can change the way a person thinks and acts.

Theatre can engage the audience, it focuses the attention of the spectators and actively involves them in a vivid and touching experience. Active involvement means that the emotions of the spectators, and not just intellectual or cognitive skills, are affected. It is this ability to touch the “heart and soul” that allows theatre to influence attitudes in ways that traditional instruction cannot.

Since January 2010 I have been working with interactive theatre methods such as Image Theatre, Forum Theatre, Debate Theatre, and Invisible Theatre. These methods were developed by the Brazilian Augusto Boal and used in many parts of the world to transfer knowledge and enhance dialogue. Augusto Boal established the “Theatre of the Oppressed” in Brazil in the early 1970s. It is a form of participatory theatre that fosters interaction among participants. Augusto Boal began his experimentations in participatory theatre in the 1950s and 60s while he was artistic director of the Arena Theatre in Rio de Janeiro. He went beyond the stage and organized performances with the Arena troupe in the streets, factories, unions, churches where they could reach the people of the favelas or slums of Rio. Boal discovered how theatre can be used as a mirror that reflects the defects in a society.

Augusto Boal was influenced by the educator Paulo Freire, author of the acclaimed Pedagogy of the Oppressed. The interactive Theatre of the Oppressed is rooted in the four “liberation” principles developed by Paulo Freire:

1. To make the situation lived by the people visible;

2. To analyze the root causes of the situation, including both internal and external sources of it;

3. To explore individual as well as group solutions to these problems;

4. To act for change following the precepts of social justice.[10]

Paulo Freire called his liberation concept conscientização or “conscientization” in English. Conscientization is “The process of developing a critical awareness of one’s social reality through reflection and action.”[11]

Boal's explorations were all efforts to transform the “monologue” of the traditional performance into a “dialogue” between the audience and the stage. He believed that dialogue is the most common and healthy dynamic between humans, and that all humans desire and are capable of participating in dialogue. He developed methods whereby members of the audience could stop a performance and suggest different actions for the actors who in turn carried out the audience suggestions—thus giving the spectators themselves an opportunity to come up with their own solutions to their collective problems. This was the beginning of Forum Theatre.

Forum Theatre is the most commonly used method of the Theatre of the Oppressed. In what Augusto Boal calls “Forum Theatre”, the actors begin with a dramatic situation from everyday life, for example parents trying to help a child addicted to drugs, a neighbor who is being evicted from his home, an individual confronting racial or gender discrimination. The play proceeds to a sad ending, with the “protagonist(s)” being abused, oppressed, and maltreated by the antagonist(s)[12]. After the first performance, the content is discussed with the audience, some scenes are repeated with one crucial difference: the spectators become “spect-actors” and can at any point replace an actor to attempt to change the situation portrayed. In this participatory process anyone can speak and anyone can act.

During the re-play of the situation, audience members are urged to intervene by stopping the action, coming on stage to replace actors, and enacting their own ideas in order to find solutions, while the other actors remain in their character. The audience realizes, if they don’t intervene, nothing will change. And change needs to be done strategically. The people acting as perpetrators of direct, psychological or structural violence on stage will maintain their positions of power until they are convincingly stopped, and just like in life, changing someone’s attitude and behavior isn’t easy.

“Role-playing serves as a vehicle for analyzing power, stimulating public debate and searching for solutions. Participants explore the complexity of the individual/group relations at a variety of levels of human exchange. They are invited to map out: a) the dynamics of power within and between groups; b) the experience and the fear of powerlessness within the individual; and c) rigid patterns of perception that generate miscommunication and conflict, as well as ways of transforming them. The aim of the forum is not to find an ideal solution, but to invent new ways of confronting problems. Following each intervention, audience members discuss the solution offered. The experience has been called a ‘rehearsal for life’.”[13]

The actors interact with the audience, based on real problems that people face in their daily lives. The play then presented to the audience, thus becomes a mirror of the problems experienced in the community. Forum Theatre provides an opportunity for the public to observe, think, talk, and ask questions about the performed situation. The audience is encouraged to propose a nonviolent approach that could address the problem presented. Forum Theatre, consequently, becomes a laboratory to experiment upon the possible ways to address problems and conflicts. New behaviors and new kinds of relationships can be exercised and learned.

By taking part in this transformative process the spectators experience the possibility of change and realize their potential to influence other people’s behavior in a positive way. The audience becomes empowered to generate ideas for social change, to imagine and practice those changes, and to reflect collectively on the suggestions made.

“When does a session of The Theatre of the Oppressed end? Never—since the objective is not to close a cycle, to generate a catharsis, or to end a development. On the contrary, its objective is to encourage autonomous activity, to set a process in motion, to stimulate transformative creativity, to change spectators into protagonists. And it is precisely for these reasons that the Theatre of the Oppressed should be the initiator of changes...” [14]

A Forum Theatre event usually lasts 2 to 3 hours, guided by a moderator, called ”Joker” by Augusto Boal. The Joker is a specific figure within Forum Theatre, whose function is to moderate and facilitate the event, mediate between actors and spectators, and in all ways possible assist the latter’s participation. His/her task is to guide the audience through the process. It is important that a safe place is created where people feel free to exchange their stories and look for solutions to their collective problems.[15]

After the welcoming, introduction and explanation of ground rules by the moderator, the play is presented. The play portrays a conflict or problem with a negative ending. It is based on real problems people face in their daily lives. At the end of the play the audience is asked by the moderator to share or comment upon what they have observed during the play, what the play is all about. After this, the reality check is done, by asking the audience, whether these situations are really happening. Spectators are invited to share their own experiences and stories. Together possible root causes of the problem are explored and discussed. A short input from a resource person is possible at this point, if necessary. Then the moderator shifts the attention back to the concrete situations that were shown in the play and asks, if any of the characters could have acted differently in a way that would then have changed positively the end of the play. Scenes are re-played. This time, however, members of the audience have the opportunity to replace a character on stage to demonstrate their ideas for positive change. The ideas and changes are analyzed together.

The aim hereby is not to solve the problem or conflict immediately, which is unrealistic, but to at least slightly influence the attitude and behavior of the antagonist(s). With these small transformations a process towards problem solving/conflict resolution has started. At the end strategies are designed to use the knowledge to actually make improvements as individuals or groups. Working groups are sometimes formed and concrete action plans can evolve out of it.

Forum Theatre is a way through which people may build an understanding of their own situation and explore in a creative and constructive way their needs and potential solutions to their problems. It enhances the capacity to analyze local problems. It teaches critical thinking, interrogates on