52 pages • 1 hour read
Theatre of the Oppressed
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Themes
Theater as a Tool for Social and Political Change
When Paulo Freire wrote Pedagogy of the Oppressed, he upended traditionalists’ views and expectations about education. Freire imagined a new kind of classroom in which both teachers and students participate in a shared experience of learning. Boal, who was highly influenced by Freire, turned his attention to his own field to determine whether similar mechanisms of power were at play. In Theatre of the Oppressed, Boal argues that politics and art are intrinsically connected and that theater has always been used as a mechanism for power. In fact, he posits that the very model of a stage is a platform upon which the structures of power can play out on a smaller scale.
A traditional performance-arts model draws a line of separation between the spectators and the performers. Boal shows that this separation occurs so that the viewers can get lost in the protagonist’s story and experience catharsis from the safety of their seats. In this traditional model, spectators connect to the story and virtues of the protagonist and find their own personal redemption in the sins of the characters, and “[t]he peripeteia suffered by the character is reproduced in the spectator as well” (36). Boal asserts that this model is focused on the maintenance of power, and the spectators remain silent, passive observers whose only function is to accept the lesson of the performance.
However, Boal observes that this lesson reflects the moral and political “good” that is arbitrarily outlined by the ruling class, and he also explains that every generation has its own moral and political code. During the rise of the industrial age, virtues promoting hard work and financial gains were prioritized over empathy or bravery, reflecting the interests of the ruling class at the time. Tragedies, which provide opportunities for catharsis, also shift to reflect the overarching values of the period in which they are created. Boal points to Aristotle as evidence of this dynamic, explaining that the Greek philosopher saw political good as the supreme manifestation of virtue. In this context, the purpose of art is to draw audiences closer to political or lawful good.
Boal reinterprets this idea, positing that the supreme function of this model is to ensure passivity and submission in the audience. The emotion elicited from spectators through the narrative is designed to lead them to adopt a greater degree of cultural compliance. However, Boal offers a new theatrical mechanism for social and political change, one that revolutionizes the relationship between viewers and actors. To this end, his Joker system expands on Brecht’s work and moves the audience into a more participatory role. Boal argues that this model of theater has a greater impact on social change because audiences have the opportunity to try different actions and see how these actions impact the social and economic forces that govern their lives.
The Interaction of Power and Art
In the first chapter of Theatre of the Oppressed, Augusto Boal challenges a common belief about the arts that is rooted in ancient Greek philosophy: the idea that art functions in isolation. Boal traces Aristotle’s ideas about art and examines the philosopher’s Poetics as part of a larger exploration of Western ideologies. Aristotle’s ideas about the distinctness of disciplines find their roots in the works of earlier thinkers. Boal argues that Aristotle failed to see how his Eurocentric perspective might shade his approach to philosophy. Western culture is known for being highly individualistic and compartmentalized, and Aristotle helped to perpetuate this sectionalism, leading to a system of education that draws distinct lines between fields of science, art, math, and history. By establishing art as separate from other disciplines, Aristotle unwittingly created a framework within which art could be used as a mechanism for power—without undergoing scrutiny.
Boal argues that the structure of theater also indicates an imbalance of power, for spectators remain silent, passive recipients of stories that are intended to instruct. The moral lessons that they receive are outlined according to the values of the ruling class, and spectators learn to accept these lessons through a process of emotional manipulation which Boal calls “empathy” and Aristotle refers to as “catharsis.” The Arena Theater sought to subvert this form. Classical theater had become popular in Brazil, and Boal criticized this shift as an example of the ruling classes making art for the consumption of the ruling classes.
German director Bertolt Brecht’s model sought to challenge this construction as well. Brecht, who was fundamental in shaping Boal’s approach, argued that the manipulation of spectators should not happen at all. Instead, Brecht imagined a model of theater that was built for the common people. Rather than engaging audiences in catharsis as part of a broader goal to maintain law and order, Brecht’s model challenged audiences to consider the impact of social and economic forces and to push back against oppressive systems. However, Boal takes this idea even further, asserting that achieving transformation through theater requires shifting spectators from passive to active participants—something that Brecht did not do.
Boal does not argue that art can be separated from power, and he acknowledges that the early days of Greek theater as wild, choral moments of collaboration are gone. Instead, Boal presents a construction of theater that exalts liberation in the face of power—that is, returning power to the audience. The Joker, acting as a mediator, allows the audience to assert their will upon the narrative and experiment with different forms of resistance.
Liberation Through Participation
The Joker system is distinguished from the approaches of Aristotle, Hegel, and even Brecht by its use of audience participation. Boal proposes that liberation comes through social analysis and understanding. However, true understanding occurs when the audience is first allowed to view things as they truly are, after which they are better equipped to offer their own actions as options for change. To this end, Boal used the Joker system in his production of The Mandrake. This particular play was originally conceived as a justification for the maintenance and relentless pursuit of power, but by applying the Joker system, Boal created an edgy new space in which audiences were given an opportunity to wrestle with the complex themes of power that manifested in their own lives.
Fortuna and virtù are central concepts to understanding Boal’s approach to challenging the influence of Western ideology on performance arts. These concepts were used in Machiavelli’s political treatise The Prince to assert that the main aim of any ruler should be the maintenance of power. The term virtù denotes specific characteristics—such as decisiveness, boldness, and cunning—that help those in power to hold onto their positions. By contrast, fortuna refers to luck—the unpredictable occurrences that rulers cannot control but can take advantage of if given the opportunity. Machiavelli’s treatise outlined a system of self-justification for colonialism, arguing that a principal way to gain power is to establish colonies within the desired boundaries. These ideas form the foundation of The Mandrake.
Boal uses these ideas in his direction of The Mandrake. The play tells the story of a man who plots to steal a woman from her elderly husband; to this end, he drugs her so that he can impregnate her. Machiavelli’s approach is often associated with the phrase “by any means necessary” in relation to the taking and keeping of power, but Boal argues that this expression belittles the reality of such a philosophy. By taking a Western work of literature and applying the Joker system, Boal subverts the form and challenges the right of governments to wield such unfettered control.
Notably, Boal challenged audiences to critique the outcomes of virtù by positioning Lucrezia, the wife of Nicia, as the protagonist so that audiences could explore the manifestations of her oppression and experiment with her responses to it. Using the Joker system allowed audiences to empower the character of Lucrezia and themselves. This example illustrates that the Joker system is the heart of Boal’s theatrical approach to liberation through participation. Inspired by Freire’s educational model—in which students are participants with teachers in a process of teaching and learning—the Joker system gives audiences the opportunity to participate in simulated protest. Boal asserts that this form of art can have transformative real-life ramifications.
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