Image Theatre and Theatre Forum

KATE RUBIN THEATRE AND DRAMA STUDIO
WINTER/ SPRING SESSION
March 23 – April 27, 2010 - Tuesdays 7:00-9:30pm (6 sessions)
Instructor: Lina de Guevara

This course will focus on Image Theatre and Theatre Forum, two of the most important techniques of Theatre of the Oppressed, a body of theatrical work developed by Brazilian director and popular educator Augusto Boal. He saw theatre as a very important tool for community development, to raise awareness of both external and internalized oppressions, to build consensus and find solutions for many social problems and ills.

In a forum theatre presentation, a scene is performed that shows a political or social problem taken from real life. In the scene, the problem is left unsolved. The audience is then invited to come on stage and intervene, showing their own ideas and solutions. A lively discussion follows where all aspects of the problem are examined. Image theatre has a similar objective, but the problems are presented as frozen images and sculptures, which are animated in different ways to express possible solutions.

In the course participants will do exercises, games, and improvisations as described in Boal’s texts.
They will learn:

• to develop and write their own theatre forum plays,
• how to present them and how to interact with the audience,
•  basic facilitation skills to be used both in image theatre and in forum.

Image theatre and theatre forum are very useful techniques for teachers, social workers, performers, community organizers and anyone looking for innovative and exciting ways to promote positive social and personal change, and to deal with issues such as family violence, racism, bullying, work related problems, cultural misunderstandings, etc.