French partner
The Théâtre de l’Opprimé is first of all a method of interactive theatre, a company that puts it in practice and a cultural venue
Located in a former furniture-shop-turned-theater, the Theater of the Oppressed organizes training courses and workshops, artistic research labs, rehearsals, and creations.
Since 1998, the company, lead by Rui Frati has continued to develop their own work, while also hosting and co-producing with other theatre, dance, and music companies.
The company’s programming promotes contemporary drama and newly emerging troupes, while remaining focused on established directors and texts, as well as theater for young audiences.
Each season of the year is marked by a special event:
September/October: Spotlight on New Works (Pleins Feux sur la jeune création)
January: Blank Slate (Carte Blanche) – One new collective of artists is welcomed each year to present performances, lectures, etc. of their choosing
June/July: MigrActions – Collaborative festival between the entire company and visiting artists, aiming to foster interaction between the arts and people of all generations
The Theater of the Oppressed
“To be a citizen is not to live in society, but to change it!”
Augusto Boal, director & creator of the Theater of the Oppressed
Method
The methods of the Theatre of the Oppressed were developed by Augusto Boal in Latin America in the 1970’s. His goal was to draw visibility to social and political conflicts by giving a voice to marginalized groups who were facing oppression under totalitarian regimes of the time. Boal’s method is composed by six techniques including: Forum Theater, Image Theater, Rainbow of Desire, Invisible Theater, Journal Theater and Legislative Theater.
The main technique used is called « forum-theater »: focusing on a current issue, the company of actors creates and performs a scene with a negative outcome.
The audience, through prompting from the director, is then invited to reflect on how best to resolve the onstage conflict. Audience members become « spectActors » and join the scene through confrontation and interaction with the other characters, thereby inspiring new ideas, alternatives, and a willingness to change the situation.
By working together, the actors and audience find new solutions for the conflicts portrayed on stage.
Company
Each year, the stage professionals, eager to uphold their place as both artists and citizens, create and present a play of a contemporary author. They focus specially on performances combining theater and music.
Other projects include « forum-theaters », workshops, and training courses in different environments: prisons, schools and universities, community centers, local authorities, businesses, etc. These interventions allow the company to build and retain a new audience by making theatre more accessible for more people.
Though it is based primarily in France, the company has also travelled to countries including Italy, Brazil, Palestine, Burundi, Iran, Taiwan, Morocco, Romania, Portugal, Chile, Mexico, Spain, England and Germany for both performances and workshops.
“To approach social and human conflicts through theater… to prompt a discussion, to think and understand together on stage, that is our commitment!”
Rui Frati, Artistic Director of Theater of the Oppressed
