Theater of the Oppressed

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Final Week TO Response

The last few classes were very fun and relaxing. After finishing my final project I was very relieved to be able to relax a bit and continue on with class without a large project looming. We had a couple sessions where we acted out the characters that we most wanted to be when we were children and the characters that we didn't want to be. The scenes that we played out for the characters we didn't want to be was actually a bit terrible. I didn't enjoy seeing the characters that people didn't want to be. We also played some games of slow motion race that were intended to allow the person to be aware of their body and their repetitive motor functions. Not only did it do that for me I was also hyper aware of my competitive nature and jealousy of those who could move even slower than me. Some people were innovative by rolling on the ground or taking extra time between steps. It was frustrating that there is reason even to be competitive when the purpose is to be the last one done. It's quite contrary and my frustration won over in the end when I felt as though I was better off losing than being a part of my own frustration any more. I wonder how many people in oppressive situations feel that way. That if they take matters into their own hands it is better than what ever other consequences might befall them at the hands of others. 

This will be my last post for this class! I am very sad to be ending my class work with this talented beautiful group of people but I am excited for the semester to be over and to take what I have learned in this class and to apply it in other parts of my life. Hurray Theater of the Oppressed, I hope to be able to practice this theater further and I hope that I can be strong enough to let it become a part of my life no matter what field I end up in. I have grown  more in this class than I think I have in the past year all together. I think in an entirely different way about oppression and  communication now and that will be with me forever. Thank you Suzanne and all my class mates. Cheers to TO and winter break. :) 

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Reading Assignment – Rainbow of Desire pp. 173-185

This last reading was very instructive. It had to do with extraversion techniques. I particularly liked Boal’s talk about what the techniques allow for or help with. He says that we think much faster than we can talk. Which I find interesting especially with my past study of nonverbal communication. We can observe much more from the figure of a human face and body than we can from the words that they say.  I also enjoyed the analytical rehearsal motivation. The exploration of all the different emotions that are found in a scene and then rehearsing a synthesis after. This would be really helpful for the development of a scene that was already written, or for writing a scene. I wonder what it would be like if these types of improvisations were used while another group member wrote down the scene. The same would be interesting with the embassy ball activity. We did a variation of this exercise in class and it was great to experience everyone passing through different variations of their exaggerated personalities. Although I think that the dose of Marijuana in a chocolate cake is a hilarious situation. It reminds me of a film where the final scene was a military encampment that was dosed with LSD. It seems to be that whenever we observe a large force of power in our lives that is held together by a rigid structure it is funny and profound to us to break away that structure with thoughts of drug induced chaos. I wonder what the real motivation for these themes is. And I also wonder how much we learn from the exemplification of those troupes in real life, on a stage, on screen. I think we can learn more about ourselves from this observation than anything else. We can observe our need for independence, need for truth, a need to break down a structure that we perceive as threatening to our personal needs or beliefs. With this post I finish up my readings of Rainbow of Desire and I find it a little sad to be ending this study of Theater of the Oppressed. Although as Boal says Theater of the Oppressed never ends and the real goal of the arsenal of the theater of the oppressed is to contribute to the preparation of the future rather than waiting for it to happen. So with everything I’ve learned I step out towards the future with a better understanding of the arsenal of the Theater of the Oppressed and knowledge of how to use it. 

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Reading Assignment Rainbow 118-150

This reading was very laden with great information for how to run whatever introspective techniques you might need to use for a group session. One label in this reading struck me as very interesting. Boal uses the term “Loch ness” to label the situations where only partial emotions or characteristics of an oppressor in a situation where they do not express all of their motivations and some are beneath the surface. The main goal is to “sight” the Loch Ness so that it can be examined. This bit was interesting how much sense this label makes to me. It’s funny as well because the Lochness monster is considered by many to be a mythical creature. So it stands to reason that this analogy works in that sense as well. That so many people do not even recognize the emotions they’re repressing.

This reading also presented some very abstract emotional conflicts. One case detailed a womans struggle to overcome her abstract fears and putting them into an image. Things like fear of death, the future, and fear of emptiness. These issues Boal argued were actually usable in an image and they made images of the emptiness. It seems to be a common theme for people to be consumed with fear of the known, emptiness and the like. But in this process we find an abstract theatrical process of dealing with it that is at the same time very human. The process of the practice is paramount to positive results though. Boal talks about the importance of the protagonist identifying her will and the construction of a well thought out constellation. This is important Boal argues, so that the joker is able to help the person sift through the choices and to use the process of observation to help the protagonist visualize her own real antagonist and not just the cops. We so very often want to produce a veil of safety for ourselves that we may miss the real struggle. How wonderful that this practice can help us to de-role from our life’s masks. 

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Reading Assignment Rainbow pp 75 – 117

This assignment details some very interesting cases of Boal using his Rainbow of Desire techniques in groups. I love that he writes about experiences he’s has while using this technique. There is so much to learn from other people’s revelations. One thing that was said in class by Meg was that we come to class and have epiphanies and stuff. So funny at the time but it’s really a matter of perspective I think. The Rainbow is there to allow us to literally see the different parts of ourselves as if we were floating above our consciousness. One observation made by a student of Boal’s  was that very often while doing image theater the oppressed people represent themselves in a form of resignation. Not of a struggling defeat or in the throes of a battle. Boal counters this thought with the statement that the actor knows why they made that choice. One possible explanation is that they are attempting to protect themselves from the oppression.

In this section Boal also talks about desires, wants, and needs. And whether or not we actually want to get what we desire and if we desire what we need and such. One particular phrase struck me as funny, he said, “The verb “to want” fears the complement of a direct object”. Also interesting and reassuring to me is Boal’s explanation of why there needs to be an “Ideal image”. I was confused earlier in the semester and was upset by this seemingly unattainable image that seemed to come from nowhere and was just there to show us what was not. BUT it is none of the above. It is the goal. And we need not reach that goal if it only stimulates the desire to move forward and give us the motivation to make positive change and break free of the oppression. He offers a quote after this talk of the ideal image that was translation of one Antonio Machado’s quote that said “ The road does not exist, the traveler creates the road by travelling”. 

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Reading Assignment Rainbow 47-74

This reading started off with Boal’s experiences with youths in psychiatric hospitals. He highlighted his own biases as well as breakthroughs he had with participants of the Rainbow technique. Boal seemed to have had an intense experience with the people in the psychiatric institutions. Describing them as finding humanity and seeing this from both sides of the coin. I think that it would be very interesting to speak to people who might think in a different way from others. By being hospitalized as well as interacting with staff who are there to medicate and “take care” of the patients.

This reading also involved an outlining of the process of preliminary process that must be completed and understood before utilizing the “Rainbow of Desire”. There is the normal mode , stop and think mode, softly softly mode, agora mode, three wishes mode, dissociation mode, and playing to the dead mode. I’d like to touch on the ones I really enjoyed reading about. Such as the stop and think mode. I really like the idea of stopping actors mid scene and forcing them then to think and explore their inner dialogue in a specific moment before continuing the scene. The fair mode also sounded like a great exercise for the beginning of rehearsals for any play. Having everyone on stage and asking them to focus on themselves amidst the action of everyone else would be very helpful for character finding. Boal presents a huge emphasis on the individual “will”. Answering the question of “what is each persons will” is highly important to the Rainbow of desire practice.  

I am very moved by the issues that Boal has  with catharsis. Expecially his explanation of Aristotelian catharsis as one of admitting to guilt and eventually falling. Supposedly this cathartic experience when felt by the audience through the protagonist takes away their ability to act as individuals distinct from society. But the question is are we actually distinct from our society or are our decisions to move away from these "cathartic" feelings just a different chosen existence?

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Reading assignment Rainbow of Desire 150 – 173

This assignment detailed the process for one version of the Rainbow of Desire. We did these variations in class and I really enjoyed the experience. I think that it is very significant for a protagonist to label the different parts of themselves and to parse out the reasons and motivations that they may experience. I found Boal’s definition of the self very profound, the idea that we cannot experience and one emotion singularly is interesting and so true! We cannot feel pain without knowing contentment and we most definitely cannot distinguish love from happiness unless we have felt pain and suffering. Not only can we not feel one singular emotion Boal suggests that we feel many simultaneously. That the human brain is full of all these emotions at once and that there may just be one dominant feeling or emotion at any given time. Hence the need of a rainbow to distinguish them and find a way to elevate the feelings we like and to shush the ones we don’t need. We will never be able to dismiss the bad and mean emotions but bringing them to the light and looking at them and saying hey bad emotions I don’t need you any more is so powerful and beautiful. The use of this technique is very fascinating to me and I hope to be able to practice it someday. With all of its triggers and faults I think that letting out the parts of yourself for others you trust and having them play those as characters could bring new revelations and coping mechanisms to arise.

One element I wish to have experiences is the agora of desires where the desires would face off against their opposite with the protagonist out of the room. I think that it was a difficult process to portray the emotions of another person and more over to try and be a character with only one desire. An opportunity to explore the character without the eyes of the protagonist there may have been freeing to me as an actor playing that part.

The rest of the reading had many helpful examples of situations in which Boal had used Rainbow in groups with people who had sincere revelations. I think that these are very beneficial for understanding the process and I quite enjoyed reading about the situations in which people found help from making a Rainbow. 

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These exercises are compiled for any type of play rehearsals. I have done emotional exercises similar to these. I always felt as though I was getting in touch with my emotional self so that I could better understand my range of emotions and draw upon them later during acing exercises. While the...

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Reading Assignment Games Ch. 4 & 5 (pp 241- 276)

Chapter four tackles the earliest formative years of Forum Theater when Boal and his troupe were performing invisible theater, newspaper theater, forum and other types and early renditions of Forum Theater. But one common thread in each of these plays or workshops there are a set of rules that everyone abides by so that everyone knows what to expect and how to behave. It is also important to keep in mind that the discussion is what brings the spectactors into the scene, not the resolution. In these chapters Boal offers a list of things to consider when constructing a forum piece.

A few of the outlined instructions from Boal have to do with the word choice in Forum. He says that we cannot simply ask the audience to identify the “error” because that might imply that the choice made was wrong. A more beneficial way to frame the situation would be to ask if there were any observations about the behavior or if there are any changes that could make for a better outcome. Observations and rules for the joker are also outlined in this section. Which may have been more helpful at the beginning of the book but here it serves it’s function. The joker must not decide on anything, they must be open to changes from the audience as to the structure of the game, they must always make the decisions the choice of the audience all the while interacting with the audience to evaluate whether or not the spectactor has won. The biggest rule for the Joker in my opinion is that they are not to manipulate the audience in any way. And they also must always make sure that the floor is open to debate while using interrogative questions. I think that these rules are beneficial to read but that a joker will most likely need to observe another joker and talk with them about what might work or not before taking the floor and asking spectactors and actors to trust them.

Not only does this reading examine the rules for managing a TO session but it gives more light to the mind of Boal himself which is intriguing. He often talks about the malleability of Theater of the Oppressed and the importance of listening to the audience fully.  

Up until this point I have not truly understood the communication through images. Yes it is a language I have learned that but Boal’s explanation of the reality of an image, scene, sculpture, is that while it may be modeled after a person or oppression it is in and of itself a thing. A creation stemming from a person’s experiences and made real. Just as a photograph is its own creation the image in theater is it’s own as well. I’m so happy to finally appreciate the image and to continue building my relationship with it from now on. Because after all Boal says that Forum Theater never ends, it is meant to shape our reactions and actions in the future. And for that I am eternally grateful.

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Reading Assignment Babbage Ch. 4

The workshop process is integral to Boal’s framework for Forum Theater or Rainbow of Desire. The first thing to be considered is the audience being addressed, their age, demographic and size of the group all factor in to what the practice will look like. Babbage suggests using selections that focus on looking listening and reflecting for larger group settings. Homogeneity of the group is another extremely important factor. Groups that are made up of people with similar values can function differently than those who are quite diverse. The number and duration of meetings can be important as well so that the facilitator can properly plan out the number of activities appropriate for the group. The most important element of the workshop process is for the leader to be present and flexible. If there is not flexibility the group may not get what they need to out of the workshop and the group work may be stifled. Another important point made is that if you are leading the exercises it is much more important to find out how people are feeling about them than it is for them to “do it right”. He mentions if people are talking at inappropriate times it may be pertinent to find out why they are talking instead of just shushing them.

I would like to lead a group someday in exercises like these. To help people find the Theater of the Oppressed and to apply the concepts we have learned thus far. I think that the movement away from a traditional catharsis is one thing that makes Theater of the Oppressed unique. But I find that I need catharsis in some form or another. It’s stressful on my soul to harbor all the emotions of a day or exercise. The day that we spent in class hugging and making amends was lovely and really helped me to feel closer to the rest of my classmates. It is an interesting thought that catharsis is the reason that we’re so numb and inactive. I don’t know that I believe catharsis is a constant enemy. There is value to me in allowing an audience a feeling of completion. BUT in my studies of activist culture and the stimulation of activist behaviors I think that this is a unique approach, to motivate with an emotional disturbance that is left unfulfilled. I think that there is room in this field for data collection and analysis but I don’t know that it would be useful. People in theater seem to be more interested in the self than the data. Which is something that I am drawn to. No matter what grades you have, the dollar amount of taxes you owe, or how many friends you have on facebook there is always more to learn and new people to meet. And the best way to interact with new people is by acting, in Boal’s sense of the word to take action and not to stay stagnant after finding our awareness.

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Reading Assignment Babbage Ch3

This Chapter was full of examples of very fantastical forum pieces. Even the three little pigs who were in this instance dramatized to have rage and drug issues. Some of this chapter was also dedicated to writing about other troupes that have used theater to bridge gaps in learning abilities and emotional turmoil. It also outlines the differences between Forum Theater and Rainbow of Desire allowing us the perspective view of forum as a broader social commentary and reformative tool set instead of direct practice for a future situation. So where Rainbow gives us an individualized and situational based therapeutic session. Each are more about the impetus for change than they are about the specific content of the play. The fact that there is resistance to step into an oppressive situation is the reason that we do Forum work.

I had not realized that the critics of TO would be so inclined to say that the way it is practiced in the West “has lost its radical edge”. I wonder though if this is true, or if Boal ever intended for Theater of the Oppressed only to be used in radical situations. It seems to me that after having read so much of Boal’s own writing that he does not see it is a degeneration of TO but as then natural evolution to a system where “creative and critical engagement” are needed instead of social uprising. One of the case studies that they shared in this chapter was one that ended in participants chatting and interacting with the actors. Spectactor to actor relationships were built in an interpersonal way and I would be very interested to see workshops done this way. With the actors becoming real people at the end instead of just a de-roled actor. Because no matter what there is always a difference between the actor who comes in wanting to help make a change and a person who attends a work shop of their own volition. The element of willing participation seems to be the theme of this type of theater. We ask the spectactors questions that will lead into a discussion after each performance of piece so that we can hopefully lead them into intervening when the time comes. 

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Reading post. Games Post Script 298 – 301

  This reading was strange. Mostly about revelations that Boal had following the attacks on the twin towers. I would like to post the following quote because I think it encompasses some abstract ideas quite succinctly. It reads

            “Truth is therapeutic: young people, using theater, dialogue, wanted to conquer it. Troubled by the events around them, they were seeking their true identity, which had been snaffled by mendacious patriotic political speechifying and censored media.”

  Honestly I think that this defines our whole generation. I find myself often wondering how much we are influenced by our media or how much we in turn influence it. The answer is unknowable really but theater offers a different forum for thought and discussion. It is in real time and however calculated it is influential only to the group in the room. If theater became the most popular form of entertainment it would be full of advertisements and we would despise it the way we despise other forms of media. Or would that ever happen? Because often those of us involved in theater are seeking truth. Truth in our dialogues, truth in scenes, and truth in relationships. Probably in many other situations as well. I find myself wondering how often we might be manipulated and how often we make our own choices. The awareness of truth is something that I think TO can help us with. To help deconstruct the manipulations, oppressions, and feeds of information that we are meant to mindlessly consume or fear. TO is smaller than that constructs it seeks to break down and expose which is essential to its nature. To knock at the heel of the world and inspire people or groups of people to go and tear down the doors of their own perceived oppressions. In such a beautiful way TO helps us to be stronger people by breaking down and examining what was already there. 

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Games Ch3 148- 203

This reading assignment had a lot to do with masks and personas which is quite important in theatrical work. I love The Animals of Vienna...maybe because my home town is named Vienna but outside of that I'm intrigued by the idea of people interpreting the movements of others and making judgments based only upon their movements. In the animals activity one actor is a person and the other is an animal. The person treats the animal actor as a certain type of animal and the actor begins to act like that animal. If the animal actor get's it right the person actor begins to act as an animal as well and they make the sound of the animal together. I think that this particular exercise is a great way to connect actors to their bodies and minds. Recently I have been reading a lot of plays that feature actors as animals, birds, crickets, ants, so forth. And really  unless you play movement games like this it would be very difficult to get into character as an animal that has very basic needs and wants.

I love the references to Bertolt Brecht and I would like to study him sometime, his concepts of realism and objectives really resonate with me as a writer/actor. At one point in this reading they quote brecht as saying " there are many objects within a single object, if the final goal is the revolution; but there would be no objects within any object, if that goal were to disappear." Highlighting the different roles of objects in our lives here Boal also quotes Magritte who plays a game where actors are told "a bottle is not a bottle" or "this table is not a table" and they are meant to find a new meaning or use for the object. An activity that could lead to some really interesting revelations about what objects really are and their role in the theater. When I was in my intro writing class we talked about how there ought not to be a gun in a scene if it was not to fired in another. For some reason these object exercises really speak to me and I have a love for props in theater and film. The reasons that each of us have for owning the pieces of furniture that we have or even the type of phone we use may go much deeper than an aesthetic desire or a need for consumerism. People are distinguished from other animals because of our use of tools and theater, that introspective nature and ability to know of ourselves.  

This reading assignment goes on to investigate image theater and all that is meant and encompassed by it. The biggest take away I got from this content was the fact that image is another language. and if we talk and ask questions and give verbal explanations we are doing away with the meaning of the image because we have given it another meaning as defined by words. The talk about masks and rituals was very stimulating for me as well. I found myself agreeing with the ideas presented about rituals creating our masks and very often our oppression. I think that as much as oppression happens to us we can also do it to ourselves on the day to day and not realize it. To me this would be a fantastic exercise to do with characters for a play where maybe the relationships are lacking defined characteristics. Overall this reading was quite dense and I would like to come back to these ideas when I first begin to direct shows, which is something I'm starting to think that I would like. 

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Reading Post Games Ch 3 pp. 92- 148

  This reading assignment was really fun. I enjoyed learning about all the games and rhythmic exercises because it showed many different ways to get actors to work together on an image like piece. These exercises seemed like they would be really useful when directing a show or teaching a class on acting. I wish I had done either of those things because I think it might bring some real life insight to the usefulness of the exercises but alas I have not so I’ll just put them in my back pocket and hope to use them in the future. Especially I think it is smart that they included the adaptations for using the games with lines from a play. Usually the example play is Hamlet but I can imagine they may be used for any play.

My favorite pages in this reading assignment are the blind series where actors voluntarily deprive themselves of the use of sight so that the capacity of perception with the other senses is enhanced or if not enhanced the awareness is brought to the things heard, smelt, touched, or thought which is very beneficial in my opinion as an actor because I’m so very often worried about the faces of other people in the room observing me and wondering what judgments they might be making. With my eyes shut I might be able to perceive more about myself than I do about the rest of the world. These exercises probably help a lot with trust because you cannot see the rest of the group and you must trust that they do not have their eyes open or are doing anything to trick you. We played a game in this series and I often think fondly of the vampire of Strasbourg. It was really fun to wander around and scream loudly in a room full of trusted individuals. At the same time this game helped to loosen me up with the group and to feel silly with everyone. The idea that if everyone does it its not silly anymore is intriguing to me. Coming to the threshold of anxiety and jumping past it into craziness is the spice of life in my opinion. It’s one of my favorite parts about theater and acting in general. The mirroring exercises are interesting. I don’t recall doing any of these in class and I think I would’ve liked to have. If I had to do a play where my actors were intimate these would be useful. Or maybe in a chorus line like what we had to do for The Lost Slipper, the choral line could’ve benefited from work seeing how the muscles in each others bodies happened and trying to recreate them honestly.

I also find it interesting that we didn’t do a lot of the dancing exercises because I think that could’ve been fun. To find rhythms and watch the whole group move to them. Although musical capabilities may have been a limitation I believe that we could’ve pulled it off for a more emotional connection. Because musical reactions in the human body are natural and often are used in every kind of media so why not TO? Especially we should use them in TO. 

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Reading Oct 31st – Rainbow of Desire 1- 46 ; Games 206 - 216

The Rainbow of Desire is quite heavily tied to the recognition of events and the occurrence of empathy and sympathy in the audience. I enjoy the explanation of the distinction between them as well as the outline that Boal has provided for the differences in an aesthetic space and the theater and the definition of actors, humans, and the mind. It is interesting to read about the theoretical framework of the theater of the oppressed as well as the way that it contrasts to traditional theater. It is obvious to me the usefulness of inviting the spect-actor into space to encourage empowerment and to put the situation of the past into perspective. Reading about it seems a bit redundant but also solidifies the reasons behind doing this kind of work.

Although I wonder how to reconcile in myself the trivialization of traditional theater. Does it not have as much value or is it just valuable in a different way? I tend to believe the latter but then I also remember hearing from theater enthusiasts who have less respect for theater that is not meant to be aesthetically pleasing. Boal suggests thought that the value is in the experience of the protagonist’s sympathy towards another person’s emotions. I wonder if there is a personality type that is more prone to enjoy passively or to engage. Some people enjoy block busters and others love documentaries. Could there be an element of communicative preference within the differences between TO and traditional theater?

I wanted to note from this reading a few things that Boal said, the first being that the human person is five things simultaneously, emotive, sensitive, rational, has a sex, and can move. I looked at these five characteristics and wondered if there were not some other bit of the human that was maybe the existential human nature in that we give things our own meaning and interpretation. Which is something that I love about the aesthetic purpose of most art. I love the freedom to perceive an art piece like a Salvador Dahli painting and think to myself , how absurd!, how beautiful, what does this mean to me? Can I find myself in this piece of art?. And that human element is a part of the empathy that Boal talks about. I think that if we all assume that we are part of the same whole organism but different and equal parts then we can begin to feel empathetic. This feeling of empathy and/or sympathy for a human being who has lived and created something from within themselves for others to view and perceive is beautiful. I enjoy the dichotomy of the stage, it can divide or unite depending on the practice upon it. It can disgust or tickle in hilarious absurd ways and it seems to me as much as I am placing the emphasis on the “stage” it comes from within us which is maybe the real point Boal is trying to make. That humans are the stage, actor, props, and every silent beat in between the soliloquy because without human perception of differences and nuances there would be no stage, props, play, or actors. So I agree Boal cheers to the idea that WE ARE THEATRE. 

In Games we read about the ability " To know and transform" . I appreciated the explanation of the inner monologue and the idea that one professing a monologue ought to say everything that a body in that position might be capable of saying. To do so quietly so as to descend into the inner thinking of the body. The idea of using image to mirror a situation and then create a metaxis in which the subject may view their own oppression and others may relate to it. Also in this reading were some fabulous examples of simplified forum pieces that could be shown to a group for use in explaining Forum theater with a conflict, chinese crisis, and defeat.

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October 10th - 15th Jana Sanskriti and Boal

This was a week of video learning which was butt numbingly wonderful. It was really quite enjoyable to witness the other representations of the forum theater.  Jana Sanskriti was very inspirational and I loved the use of the Forum by the community members to enhance understanding of issues for women and social standing. I think that it was very useful to watch these films and I'm quite happy to have seen a live example of how to incorporate music and dance into a Forum piece. I wish so much that I was a part of such a culture. I very much identify with American ideals of musicality but it is so much removed from our homes and classrooms unless it is playing on an ipod or a laptop. Unless you have a certain amount of skill and can be considered a "musician" when I believe that the same stance may be applied to music as Boal as used to adapt the meaning of "actor" in that one who can hear a melody and create in themselves something musical can be considered a musician! What a beautiful world we might live in if each and everyone of us might be able to share in the creative arts and contribute instead of elevating that which is considered most beautiful by some or many. I think that these elitist tendencies are quite human which is natural but Jana Sanskriti showed us that we may connect with each other by singing and dancing face to face as well as finding renewed vigor in our performances and in the situations we may portray. I encountered a similar feeling when I studied abroad in South Africa and Jambay Drums were common place in sexual health education skits for young kids college kids and community members. I remember it really touching me because it was their solution to a communication gap between those who spoke different languages or who did not read. I am driven by an interest in this subject and I would love to work with music and forum theater to engage those who might be skeptical of a traditional performance situation. 

The video on the second day was one where I first saw Boal and envisioned him as a young man through the presence of his young son who is carrying on his legacy. I loved the workshop format and I would love love love to get to a point some day where I can lead them for people in a company. I find that there is a large gap between the voices of the corporate and those of the artistic. This makes me quite sad because I find there to be no room for us to distinguish parts of the world as a "work place" or "theater" or "home". I like to think that studying Boal has changed a bit of how I think about the world. In that I now see the work place may be a home to the dedicated worker the home may be a theater where I play a wicked witch to my nieces humble princess and the stage may be the world, home, and workplace of actors who choose to engage with a willing audience who buy tickets to see their beautiful performances and renditions of the world. We would all be better off if we worked under the assumption that we are all impacting the larger structures of the world. I know I will from now on and I thank Boal and this TO class for such a wonderful revelation. 

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October 8th

This day was a really hard day to be a part of because we didn't get any information until after the "game" happened. The topic that Joshua and Kelsey tackled was a hard one. Stereotypes are a tough reality for many of us to cope with on a day to day. The way that people understand each other is funny I think. We all use phrases to streamline our communication about our emotions because we are either afraid, confused, ignorant, or incapable of illustrating with words the electrical impulses in our brains. I think that image work bridges that gap and I would've liked to have seen some image work with this project actually. I felt pretty uncomfortable about the labels that were used and a bit offended by the formatting but that's okay. I'm fairly easily offended. I see a commercial with scantily clad women and I think to myself "Egahd! Those women are being objectified!" but I don't do anything. I wish there were something to be done about objectification of women or stereotypes. I know you could say oh never stop trying, there are things to be done, and yadadada but I feel as though the most important things is to continue talking about those things in an open way. I felt like everyone was trying to teach me a lesson instead of trying to have an open discussion so that was frustrating. I appreciated though the forum for discussion and there are many ways to open the floor to that discussion so I hate to say anything negative but I remember being very torn by the discussion  and hoping for it to end to continue on with my current beliefs. Realizing those feelings I believe is one of the first steps to changing the way we think and that is what I am thankful for from this class experience. 

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Reading assignment: Babbage Ch2 - Games 48-91

I really love reading the text’s assigned for this class even if it is really difficult for me to keep up with the readings. Alas here I am playing catch up. I am trying to stay positive about the catchup situation and enjoy reading the techniques Boal has spent his life perfecting. This journal’s focus is on the readings from way early in the semester. Chapter two of Babbage was really stimulating for me because I haven’t had a lot of formal theater history training. I find that I really identify strongly with the ideas presented in the book such as the analysis of the spectator and the implications of sitting and consuming instead of being empowered and taking “action” I wish that more people in the world saw themselves as actors and less of just consumers. Of course it is WAY more beneficial for the consumerist industry of the US to produce mass numbers of consumers instead of free thinkers. Which is highly ironic in a social sense since we’re all walking around believing we are empowered by this supposed freedom to drive around our cars paying bookoo in gas money and buy and say what we want. When often the things we’re trained to talk of are the things we have bought or policy about money! It seems to me that these are the issues our government would prefer us talk and think about. Money and shopping not human rights. If we’re consumed with our thoughts about black Friday shopping there really isn’t much time to step back and observe the irresponsibility of our government concerning international issues or even marriage rights here in the states. Shouldn’t the people come first? Boal says YES! And I love him for it. He says we’re all actors and we’re all capable of pulling our own minds up to think on a higher deeper level by taking action in our lives.

The reading this week in Games pages 48-91 it ranges from general exercises like a trust circle, pushing against each other exercises, circle of knots and so forth. I really appreciate the way that the games are explained in the book. I particularly enjoy the variations. It makes the games adaptable for many situations and groups. It reminds me of yoga practice where the postures are meant to bring you more than just exercise. Yoga practice just as with Boals Games is meant to bring new awareness to the body, mind, and surroundings.

I would love to try the lifting someone out of a chair game! It reminds me of games I used to play with my friends as a child. This reading assignment presents many great elements to add to my own personal arsenal of the theater of the oppressed.