Theatre of the oppressed and its times
Julian Boal
Translated by F. Comparato and K. Howe
Routledge
ISBN 9781003325048 (ebook)
Review author: Jonathan P.Jones, PhD
In this volume of edited essays and articles, Julian Boal proposes that,
Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) was created in order to fight against dictatorship and an extremely centralized conception of politics, so how does it function in a time of social media and so-called participatory democracies? (2023: 1).
Further, J. Boal (‘J.’ to distinguish from his father, A. Boal) indicates that TO is a political act that must be contextualized to Brazil of the 1970s from which the work was manifest: TO
articulated a critique of the Brazilian Communist Party, the Latin American Left in general, and their collapse when faced with the rise of dictatorships (2023: 1),
and that understanding TO
as a process rooted within the cultural and political history of Brazil–can help the reader better understand TO as a response to a specific time and therefore open the question of how it relates to the present moment’ (2023: 1).
With that in mind, J. Boal presents this book as a re-examination and reset for TO, not unlike A. Boal’s own journey in the global North while in exile in the 1980s. When faced with different socio-political dynamics, A. Boal adapted TO to new forms: cop-in-the-head and rainbow of desire. Similarly, J. Boal pushes TO practitioners to stop striving for the artifice of a pure TO as A. Boal envisioned 50 years ago, and instead, consider a TO that responds to the now—both in the oppression spect-actors experience in their particular circumstances as well as in systems of oppression. While A. Boal created this work in reaction to the bourgeois theatre of 1970s Brazil, contemporary commercial theatre in the English-speaking world is largely a presentational artform, which replicates systems of oppression and remains in need of the disruption that J. Boal advocates for in this text. J. Boal asks,
What does it become when the prospect of radical repossession of society seems to be no longer on the horizon? […] What of TO in neoliberal times? (2023: 2).
Given the rise of right-wing autocracy in Western democracies and the threat of its spread, the notion that TO might not be needed as it was intended some 50 years ago might be shortsighted. Nevertheless, J. Boal is particularly interested in disrupting the use of forum theatre in corporate structures for human resources purposes, professional development, and the like, which reinforce capitalist structures rather than seek to overturn them. In the book, J. Boal critiques contemporary TO and the evolution of his thinking about the work through more than a decade of writing. The essays are organized thematically, but J. Boal invites the reader to interact with the pieces in whatever way is meaningful as he delineates his theory and presents
Examples of groups whose TO practices give [the author] hope, groups who insist on surrendering only the absolute minimum to the logics of our present subjugation (2023: 7).
Part 1: Criticising a Critical Theatre
In these first seven essays, J. Boal presents the varying aspects of his central argument—exploring the socio-political dynamics and bourgeois theatre in Brazil from which A. Boal developed TO while also evaluating the success and failures of contemporary TO practices. Chapter 6: Notes on Oppression should be required reading for all TO practitioners and social justice advocates. In the piece, J. Boal asks practitioners to articulate and defend what they are really advocating for, regardless of whether they use the term ‘oppression’ or not—which is fundamental liberation. Researchers and practitioners who are invested in the historical dynamics of TO will find particular value in chapter 2: TO as a Formal Critique of the Brazilian Communist Party, as it provides insight into the historical milieu. In contrast, chapter 3: TO and Epic Theatre: Notes on Two Attempts to Overcome the Bourgeois Drama is a provocation both for TO practitioners and the wider field of applied theatre, asking what now; what next? In this article, J. Boal critiques Brecht’s epic theatre alongside TO in service of pushing practitioners to insist that the theatrical form match the theoretical intent. Chapter 5: TO in Neoliberal Times: From Che Guevara to the Uber Driver meanders at times but ultimately provides a potent call to action. In the essay, J. Boal acknowledges that though contemporary applications of TO might fail to realize the full potential of TO, the work still serves a necessary, and often beautiful, purpose.
Part 2: Small Screws, Big Twists: What Can Art Do in the Anti-Capitalist Struggle?
This ‘part’ is one stand-alone manifesto of sorts, where J. Boal investigates the relationship between politicians and art, with TO serving as one representative method. It is both the longest piece in the text and the most challenging. Though born from J. Boal’s reflections on the 2020 mayoral and city council elections in Brazil, the piece addresses
the relationship of candidates with art and culture in general (2023: 75),
a stimulating discussion indeed.
Part 3: Are There No Alternatives?
In the third, and final, section of the book, J. Boal turns to contemporary applications of TO. There are the requisite new games and techniques to add to practitioners’ arsenal, however, chapter 9: Examples but Not Models: Against Well-Made TO and for Well-Adapted TO is the heart of the book. Here, J. Boal investigates the work of three TO movements in various parts of the world: Jana Sanskriti in India, Oprima in Portugal, and La Escola de Teatro Popular–ETP in Brazil. In these examples, TO is revealed to be much more than a theatre practice, but rather a social and political movement. In the field, we often speak about potentiality in applied theatre, but this essay (particularly with Jana Sanskriti and Oprima) illustrates a cultural shift brought about through the mechanism of TO.
Conclusion
Novice TO practitioners will need a foundation in A. Boal’s writings and techniques in order to make use of this text, though it certainly provides necessary insights into how vital these practices remain. For seasoned TO practitioners, some of these essays provide a rubric for assessing how and why they facilitate TO. Researchers will benefit from the historical narratives and analysis about the contemporary TO work in India, Portugal, and Brazil. For all readers, J. Boal effectively motivates the reader to continue to engage in this meaningful artistic practice.
In reflecting on the reactionary or misguided uses of TO, J. Boal notes,
I could say that what most of them have in common is the complete absence of a more systemic view of oppression and, as a consequence, a complete absence of the prospect of overcoming it (2023: 8).
And yet, balancing A. Boal’s historic intention that this work should embody a rehearsal for the revolution, J. Boal’s contemporary exemplars project a different metric for success—a liberation for individuals invested in TO—perhaps even for whole communities who have committed to these processes. And while short of systemic revolution, perhaps individual liberation and self-actualization are vital too.
This book is a call to not ever rely completely on the achievements of those who preceded us […]. We will pay homage to them precisely by staying mindful about how we use and refine our tools in our own times, not by celebrating unquestioningly those who came before us. Instead, we will honor the people from whom we have learned by trying to continue their struggles in an always-shifting landscape (2013: 7).
