DRA 315 Theatre of the Oppressed
3 hours
Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) is an interactive form of theatre that invokes the participation of the audience. Actors create and perform a play about some form of oppression and then re-play the action, enabling the audience to step into the roles on stage and overcome the character’s obstacles. Students will learn how to perform TO through the practice of theatrical exercises, games, improvisation, and rehearsal techniques which will prepare them for creating realistic characters and plot lines that pose a dilemma for the audience to resolve. Created by Augusto Boal, this entertaining and transformative theatre form is performed in over 200 countries worldwide and will teach both audience and actors alike how to deal creatively with oppression in their everyday lives. The culminating activity is the presentation of a play developed for audience intervention presented to the John Jay Community.