The Forum-Theater
The Forum-Theater is the most significant and most used technique of the Theater of the Oppressed Company.
Created and developed by Augusto Boal Through his theatrical practice in Brazil and then during his exile in Europe and particularly in France, the technique of forum theater is based on two convictions:
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theater can and should be a tool to change the world
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human beings have the theatrical language
The role of the director or “joker”
A fundamental role in supporting the interaction between the auditorium and the stage, the director, or “joker”, promotes debate with the public and coordinates the interventions of the audience on stage and the reactions of the actors.
During the show, he leads the interventions as far as possible between the audience members and the actors, and carries out the plans proposed by the audience with the goal of developing their point of view and clarifying their intentions
Example of intervention in the context of a Forum-Theater on the theme "violence against women": Documentary directed by Martin Veber: Three strikes against domestic violence
Download the Theater of the Oppressed's presentation file
Duration
A Forum-Theater session is from 1h30 to 2h00. Fifteen minutes for the presentation of the prepared scenes and 1h15 to 1h45 of debate/theatrical exchange.
Stage area
The Forum-Theater can be performed in any type of room. A sound system should be provided (microphones and amplification) depending on the acoustics of the place. There is no need for special lighting.
Decorations and accessories
There are no specific props or decorations intended for a forum-theater performance. This is intentional so that the public can easily project themselves into any space that the sketch speaks to them. The actors only need tables, chairs, and possibly two or three accessories depending on the chosen theme (water carafe, canteen tray, book, etc).
Forum-Theatre is a form of interactive theatre which makes it possible for a debate to emerge through the lenses of theatrical play. One of the characters, the protagonist, tries to obtain a legitimate right while being frustrated by one or several antagonists.
Initially, the actors perform several short scenes which mirror daily life situations that are conflicted or obstructed in some way. The scenes are then performed again, as many times as necessary, as members of the audience replace an onstage character (or create a new character) to achieve a more satisfactory outcome. In facing the actors and confronting the initial scene, the “spectActor” must attempt to create new alternatives for the difficult situations at hand.
The play is the responsibility of the entire room: director, actors and audience. This avoids the imposition of a message or attempts to find a ‘right’ answer. Instead, by experimenting together onstage, solutions become possible. The director or “joker” has a fundamental role since he is the facilitator of interactions between the audience and the stage: he encourages debate with the audience and coordinates the audience interventions into the scene and the reactions of the actors. During the show, he/she guides the discussion as far as possible and helps the audience to develop their points of view and clarify their intentions.
The forum-theater can address any subject/theme, regardless of context or social background