Philadelphia Theatre of the Oppressed

Workshop Series: From Image to Action

2012-01-17T23:06:00.002-05:00

Tuesdays: 1/24, 1/31 & 2/7 • 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

at the Rotunda • 4014 Walnut Street

Suggested Tuition: $25–$45—no one turned away!

Please pre-register at "tophilly@gmail.com" or call 215-730-0982

Theatre of the Oppressed is a tool for rehearsing reality: what we do onstage we may strive to do in everyday life. In this 3-part workshop, the group will use theatre games and techniques to identify, explore, and take apart various forms of oppression. We’ll then strategize ways to transform our ideals for liberation into concrete actions.

What we learn and make in this workshop will be supplemented with take-home readings written by others who use Theatre of the Oppressed in different ways: peasant farmers in India and Brazil, young people in New York and Minneapolis, and survivors of torture and war in Colombia and Afghanistan. These readings show us how this work can be used in the wider world and inspire us to transform our own communities in similar ways.

Note: We ask that participants commit to coming to all three sessions in this series. To pre-register, please call 215-730-0982, or email "tophilly@gmail.com"

Games for Actors and Non-Actors: What We Played, January 10th, 2012

2011-12-30T10:32:00.002-05:00

In 2012, T.O. Philly takes up residence at the Rotunda for a numberof classes and workshops on Tuesday evenings. Our first was on January 10th, with two dozen people who came to play games. These games come from a variety of sources: theatre games used by actors to warm up before rehearsal, trust-building and non-competative games from the "New Games" movement, and techniques that examine social relationships from the Theatre of the Oppressed—all have a folkloric quality that can be brought to almost any group. Here's what we played:

Circle Games:
• Flying Dutchman: Ghost ships that race to safe harbors without colliding (hopefully).

• Group Juggling: Throwing and catching each others names, as well as juggling balls.

• Ooh-Ahh: The "ooh" goes one way, the "ahh" the other, and then the names start flying as games get combined.

Walking Games:

• Number Speeds: Speed up and slow down at the shout of a number, then do it without breaking eye contact with one other person.

• Handshakes/Hi-Fives/Hugs/Hellos: Each action (shaking hands, high-fiving, hugs, and waving hello) must be performed with a specific partner on cue. Combined with the previous game it's a beautiful mess.

• Lines and Trinagles: Secretly pick two people and form a shape with them—either a straight line or an equilateral triangle—without letting them know who they are. Oh, and everyone else is trying to do the same thing as well.

• Hagoo: Two teams form a corridor, one on each side, and each send a member to walk toward each other down the middle. The walkers cannot smile or laugh, though opposing team members try to make them do so, thereby getting them to join they're team.

Rhythm Games:

• Bronx/Paper/Scissors: Pairs play each other and the loser joins the winner's gang, backing 'em up as they play other RPS gang leaders. Everyone ends up in two big gangs, and then just one gang with no one left to fight.

• Carnaval em Rio: Same situation as above, one instead of throwing fingers, players throw rhythms—sounds made the mouth and movements made by the whole body. Pairs "morph" there rhythms into a unified compromise of individual movements and sounds, then morph with others into to fewer, bigger groups, until everyone is doing the same thing in unison.

• Rhythm Challenge: With one unified rhythm, the group faces the same way. A challenger steps out, faces the group and proposes a new rhythm, which members can defect to or refuse. Larger group wins with new rhythm being adopted by everyone or no one, and then a new challenger steps out, and so on.

Image Theatre Games:

• Animal Ritual: Everyone is secretly assigned an animal. They all enter the space in the manner of each animal—moving, making noises, foraging for food, and eventually interacting. Before exiting, each animal must find their mate (hopefully) of the same species.
• 10 Seconds of Noticing: In pairs, one stands with eyes closed while the other sculpts themselves into a motionless Image. The other open the eyes for 10 seconds, then replicates the image to the best of their ability. Adjustments are made by the original sculptor before switching roles. Individual images can then evolve into group images, movements, or anything else that adds layers of nuance, language and fun to the exercise.

Check out other rules for games on this site. Add your own by posting a comment below!

T.O. Philly News 2011-2012

2011-12-23T22:47:00.000-05:00

2011 was an active year for Philadelphia Theatre of the Oppressed, full of games, workshops, performances, travels and actions that brought this work into the wider world. On the local front, we rounded out two years of work at the Attic Youth Center with a 6-week service learning project that brought LGBTQ teens and allies together to address the issue of bullying. T.O. Philly facilitators also did some work with the Occupy Movement, as well as two dozen German volunteers who are in the U.S. for a year through Action Reconciliation Service for Peace. We'll have a post up soon with more info about our collaborations with these organizations, and look for info about our upcoming workshops on Tuesday evenings at the Rotunda.

Analytical Image from the Rainbow of Desire

Beyond Philadelphia, T.O. Philly represented at the annual Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed Conference in Chicago with a workshop called "Making Mistakes" about what we can do when this work does not work. In the summer we led a day-long Image Theatre workshop at Camp Onas with Quaker youth from all over Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and this fall a trip to Providence brought us to lead a training with English for Action, an ESL organization that uses the pedagogy of language education to enact social change.

Besides announcing our classes and events (of which there were many this past year) we're now using this blog as a general resource for all things Theatre of the Oppressed, including:

Games: Rules for playing games and how the games can be applied to the work we do.
Graphics: For public use by anyone who does Theatre of the Oppressed and wants an image for a flyer or the web.
Glossary: In case someone's uses a T.O. term that others don't understand, now there's an online resource to ease up the jargon.

All of these resources are open source—please use them and attach a link to our blog if you do. And please contribute: if you have questions, variations on games, graphics or definitions for terms, leave us a comment or drop us a line and we'll add you in!

Thanks for reading. Hope to see you in 2012!

The Vehicle Game

2011-12-11T18:51:00.001-05:00

We are starting to post rules for games and techniques! If you've used this game, have variations to add, or have questions about how this and other games are played, leave us a comment.

Can you guess what this vehicle is? Let us know.
Guess correctly and we'll send you a poster!

This is a theatre game that's good for building teamwork, working under pressure and developing the language of images. You need enough people to make two or more teams of 5 to 10 people each. You'll also need space for these teams to work simultaneously and separately.

The Game:
Each team uses their bodies to construct the image of a vehicle—that is, a mode of transport that will be recognizable by the members of the other teams. The vehicle must also be able to travel across the space as a moving human sculpture that includes sound effects. Once all the teams have completed this task, one team shows their stationary vehicle. The others make observations and guesses as to what the vehicle is. Then the vehicle moves and makes noise, either confirming the guesses or not. The round ends with the team revealing what their vehicle was, and the next team has a go.

Variations:
This game can be played with any sort of mechanism, be it a household appliance with moving parts (such as a clock or a dishwasher), a ritual performed by a person or people (brushing one's teeth or going to vote), or larger social systems made miniature by the metaphor of theatre (education, commerce, government, patriarchy, childhood, etc.) As with all Theatre of the Oppressed games, the permutations are endless!

Photo above of one team's vehicle image in a workshop at the Muktadhara III Theatre of the Oppressed Festival in West Bengal. Leave us a comment below with your guess as to what they are. Guess correctly and we'll send you a poster!

A Theatre of the Oppressed Glossary

2011-12-02T21:15:00.001-05:00

Like any profession or educational system, Theatre of the Oppressed has its own terminology. Some terms are derived from more traditional forms of drama, others from other modes of anti-oppression pedagogy, such as popular education. One of Theatre of the Oppressed's goals is to "multiplicate" (from the Portuguese verb "multiplicar"—to multiply), meaning to make its language and methodology accessible to as many people as possible. So far this aim has been largely successful: Theatre of the Oppressed is now used by millions of people in more than 70 countries.

In the hopes that more people will put Theatre of the Oppressed into practice, we are starting a glossary of terms here—"starting" because this is an open document. If you want to add an entry or alter a definition, leave a comment on this page!

Terms Commonly Used in Theatre of the Oppressed:

Actor:A person whoperforms an action, whether onstage or off.
Antagonist:A character inconflict with the story’s protagonist.
Cop inthe Head: A Theatreof the Oppressed technique aimed at dismantling internalized oppression.
Difficultator: A facilitator who offerschallenges to a group as part of a workshop process.
Dynamization: The process of addingmovements, sounds and words into a piece of Image Theatre.
Facilitator: A person who directs theflow of a discussion or workshop. Literally “one who makes things easy.”
ForumTheatre: A playperformed in front of an audience in which audience members can step onstage,take the place of a character or characters and change the story’s outcome.
Games/Gamesercizes:Group activitiesthat get people comfortable with themselves and each other, build trust anddevelop skills necessary for working with the language of Theatre of theOppressed.
Ideal image: A desired, improvedvariation on the Real Image in Image Theatre.
Image: A motionless sculpturemade from human figures.
Image Theatre: A form of Theatre of theOppressed that uses collectively constructed still images to convey meaning.
Joker: The facilitator/difficultatorin a Theatre of the Oppressed workshop.
Kinesthetic: Relating to the body and/or movement.
Mask: An image that an actor takes on to embody a character.
Mirror: When an actor or actors take on the image, movements, sounds, words, characteristics and/or actions of another actor.
Objectiveobservation:Responding to an image with commentary on its physical nature alone.
Oppressed:Anyone who issubject to others having power over them.
Oppressor:A person whohas power over another person.
Player: Participant in a theatreworkshop.
Protagonist:A person whoperforms an action, whether onstage or off.
Rainbowof Desire: A specifictherapeutic theatre technique, and also a family of techniques, aimed atdismantling internalized oppression.
Real image: A main character fromwhose perspective a story is told.
Sculpt: The process of creatingimages with people’s bodies.
Self-sculpt: To create an image withone’s own body.
Spect-actor: A participant in the Theatreof the Oppressed, both spectator and actor.
Subjectiveobservation:Responding to an image with commentary based on perception, speculation andintuition.
Technique: An intricate Theatre ofthe Oppressed exercise, more complicated than games.
Theatre of the Oppressed: A system of theatricalgames and techniques that examine and dismantle dynamics of oppression.
Theatre pedagogy: The use of theatre to develop language and social awareness; Theatre of the Oppressed is a form of theatre pedagogy.
TO: Theatre of the Oppressed.

Love and Anger and Animals

2011-11-27T22:19:00.010-05:00

We are starting to post rules for games and techniques! If you've used this game, have variations to add, or have questions about how this and other games are played, leave us a comment.

This is a rhythm game that can be played in pairs or in teams with many variations. It's a great warm-up for the body and voice, for being creative and receptive, and makes a good transition between ice-breakers and more involved theatrical work.

In his book Games for Actors and Non-Actors (London: Routledge, 1992), T.O. founder Augusto Boal briefly describes a game called "Crossing the Room" (p. 100) where "two actors cross the room from opposite sides, with a particular movement, rhythm and sound." In more recent workshops with Boal and his students, the game has taken on many different and more specific forms, two of which I'll give here:

Crossing the Room as Animals (two actors at a time with the rest of the group watching):

Divide the group in two and have them line up facing each other on opposite sides of the space. The front of each line is diagonally across from the front of the other.
The person at the front of each line thinks of an animal and then begins to act, move, and emit a noise like that animal. These two animals enter the space, moving slowly toward each other.
When the two animals meet in the middle, these actions, movements and noises become an interaction—an interspecies conversation. Each animal notices the actions/movements/sounds of the other.
The two animals each begin to "evolve" into the other, gradually giving up their own animal's characteristics and replacing them with those of the other animal. As they do this, the two animals physically switch places in the space as well.
These animals then finish crossing the room, arriving at the end of the line opposite from where they started, and the next pair of animals emerge from the fronts of the two lines.

Exchange of Love and Anger (in teams, with everyone going at once):

Actors form two lines with each person directly facing someone on the other side. (In case of an odd number of people, a facilitator can step in or out to make it even.)
All turn to face away from each other. One team forms images of "Love" and the other of "Anger."
All turn around once again to face each other. At the signal, actors dynamize their images, adding a movement and a sound, forming a rhythm. With these rhythms, the two teams gradually move toward each other.
Once they meet, each pair creates a dialogue of Love and Anger, and then exchanges rhythms gradually by giving up aspects of their original image and rhythm to take on those of their component, eventually transitioning completely. As this transition happens, Love and Anger switch places, as well as roles, and back away from each other to arrive in lines opposite from where they started.
Repeat this game a second time with each team taking on the opposite role. Partners then debrief, then the whole group discusses their experience.

Variations: The rules for these games are interchangeable and flexible: Love and Anger could be done in isolated pairs with the rest of the group watching, and Animals could be done as teams moving all at once. Other emotions can be swapped in, or try human professions instead of animals. As an alternative to exchanging roles, the rhythms could be morphed into a unified rhythm, ending up with a pair of identical hybrid creatures and/or emotions as the result—What is the synthesis of Love and Anger? Of a snake and a bumblebee? A goose and a lion? A bloodsucking leech and a hungry Wall Street broker? If you have any other variations or ideas, let us know!

Workshop photo taken in West Bengal by Luc Opdebeeck from Formaat, a Theatre of the Oppressed organization in Rottendam, Netherlands.

Colombian Hypnosis, Indian Hypnosis

2011-11-16T21:26:00.007-05:00

We are starting to post rules for games and techniques! If you've used this game, have variations to add, or have questions about how this and other games are played, leave us a comment.

Games are at the foundation of Theatre of the Oppressed, and no game characterizes TO better than Colombian Hypnosis. The game's name comes from its point of origin: While in exile from his native Brazil, TO founder Augusto Boal developed many wordless techniques with indigenous Latin Americans. It was with a group of non-Spanish-speaking Colombians that Colombian Hypnosis was first realized.

Here I give the basic technique, as taught by Boal and many people in the U.S. and Europe. In a workshop, the game is often used as a transition point out of ice-breakers and into deeper conversations about power and oppression. Jana Sanskriti—the Indian Theatre of the Oppressed movement founded in West Bengal—uses Colombian hypnosis as a segue into working with still images, as well as a surrealistic theatre technique in their Forum plays. Their techniques are given below.

Colombian Hypnosis in pairs:

Participants pair off and choose who's Ⓐ and who's Ⓑ. Ⓐ puts a hand—fingers pointed up, palm facing out—about 8" (20cm) from Ⓑ's face. Ⓐ is the hyponotist. Ⓑ is hypnotized.
Moving very slowly and in total silence, Ⓐ leads Ⓑ around the space, playing with height, angle, position and rhythm, yet always keeping the movements very slow. Ⓑ must follow Ⓐ's hand, keeping the same distance and perspective at all times, as if hypnotized by it. Ⓐ's job is to challenge Ⓑ while remaining within the range of possibility as far as what Ⓑ can do.
After several minutes (as few as 5, as many as 30) Ⓐ and Ⓑ switch roles. Now Ⓑ hypnotizes Ⓐ for the same length of time that Ⓐ hypnotized Ⓑ.
After each has had a turn playing both hypnotist and hypnotized, both Ⓐ and Ⓑ put a hand in front of each other's faces, both hypnotizing and being hypnotized simulataneously.
Debrief, first in Ⓐ/Ⓑ pairs, then as an entire group—this part is very important. For most groups the facilitator need do very little to get an insightful dialogue going!

Variation in threes:

Same as Colombian Hypnosis in pairs, but now with Ⓐ, Ⓑ and Ⓒ. Each takes a turn using two hands to hypnotize the other two.

Variation in fives:

A single hypnotist hypnotizes four others, one on each hand, one on each foot.

Variation in groups:

A chosen hypnotist stands in the middle with all others choosing to be hypnotized by different body parts at different distances. The hypnotist must move very slowly in this variation, as the smallest movement can send certain people flying across the space at great speeds!

Chain Reaction:

Endless Hypnosis combinations are possible: a single hypnotsist can manipulate long chains or large mobs of hypnotized masses with each hand, or group members can randomly select to be hypnotized by body parts of unknowing participants—be creative!

Colombian Hypnosis in India: a gateway to Image Theatre

I learned this method in workshops with Sanjoy Ganguly, one the founders of Jana Sanskriti Centre for Theatre of the Oppressed in Badu, West Bengal. It begins with any game of Colombian Hypnosis given above—usually the 2-person or 3-person versions—with the following steps added:

All participants freeze or resume moving at a signal from the facilitator. These freezes can be rapid intervals, or long (sometimes uncomfortable) holds.
During a freeze, the facilitator can select one pair or group to remain frozen while all others come and look at the image and voice their observations. These first observations are objective, meaning that they are factual, physical characteristics of the image, not speculations as to what's going on.
After several objective observations, people can offer subjective observations: Who are these people? What are they doing, thinking, and feeling? What is their relationship? What happened before this? What will happen next?
After a number of observations, people resume the game until another freeze and another image is chosen for analysis.

This technique can go in many directions, and it tends to move the surreal narrative of Colombian Hypnosis into something more concrete. The facilitator may ask for participants to modify the image, or to dynamize it with movements, sounds or words. Jana Sanskriti also uses Colombian Hypnosis in their plays (pictured here) to illustrate power dynamics in a symbolic fashion. If you're rehearsing a play, try using Colombian Hypnosis as a rehearsal technique by having one character hypnotize one or two others while they say their lines. Or use Colombian Hypnosis as a "Mini Forum" by instructing the hypnotized to creatively break out from under the control of their hypnotist—again, the possibilities are endless!

About T.O. Philly

2011-11-10T13:47:00.000-05:00

Philadelphia Theatre of the Oppressed (T.O. Philly) is a network of people using the tools of theatre and popular education to dismantle oppression. Much of the work we do is based on the writings and teachings of the late Augusto Boal, who developed the Theatre of the Oppressed in Brazil over 40 years ago. We also draw upon other theatre games and movement traditions, as well as models of popular education like those put forth by Paolo Freire in his book, Pedagogy of the Oppressed.

T.O. Philly offers classes, workshops and trainings for groups in Philadelphia as well as in other cities and towns where this work is needed. To get in touch with us, call 215-730-0982 or email "tophilly@gmail.com"

T.O. Philly News:

2011 has been packed with a number of weekly workshops exploring different aspects of Theatre of the Oppressed, including communication without words, exploring the senses, and developing tools for facilitation. We also started hosting public performances of a family of techniques called the Rainbow of Desire. Known as "the Boal method of theatre and therapy," the Rainbow of Desire takes people's ongoing experiences with oppression and replays the situations in which these oppressions occur. We use the stage and the audience to expose hidden elements of the story, then take the pieces of the story apart and put them back together in a way that we would like the situation to be. From there we work to expand these acts of liberation beyond the stage and into the wider world. The Rainbow of Desire is a personally transformative process—If you'd like to host or participate in a workshop, get in touch!

Other things T.O. Philly has done this year have included a screening of the film Jana Sanskriti: A theater on the field, about the large Theatre of the Oppressed movement in India. The screening coincided with the release of the book, Celebrate People's History: The Poster Book of Resistance and Revolution, and the printing of a Jana Sanskriti poster featured in the book. Details on this show are posted on the venue's website. We also started a reading group to study and discuss some of the more historical and theoretical aspects of Augusto Boal's work, and some of us have been involved with ongoing Forum Theatre workshops and performances at the Attic Youth Center in Philadelphia. T.O. Philly has also been focusing on food justice by doing work with Mariposa Co-op in West Philly and at the Rooted in Community Youth Conference, hosted by the Urban Nutrition Initiative.

Outside of Philadelphia, T.O. Philly recently held college workshops with

North American Students of Cooperation at the University of Michigan; for an Applied Theatre course at The College of New Jersey; with the Marywood Players Theatre Club of Marywood University; and for a service learning program with students from William & Mary College. We also led trainings with English For Action in Providdence, RI; at Our Space LGBTQ drop-in center in Hayward, CA; at national retreats organized by the Jewish Farm School; at a camp for Philadelphia Yearly Meeting's Young Friends program; and at the 17th Annual Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed Conference in Chicago.

For more info about what we do or how you can get involved, contact us at 215-730-0982 or "tophilly@gmail.com".

Rainbow of Desire Workshop Series

2011-11-07T11:45:00.001-05:00

This is a notice about past events. For information on upcoming events, click here.

7 Mondays • November 7-December 19 • 7:30-9:30 p.m.

at Studio 34 • 4522 Baltimore Ave • West Philadelphia

★ WORKSHOP CLOSED TO NEW PARTICIPANTS ★

New workshop series coming in 2012—stay tuned...

THE RAINBOW OF DESIRE is a family of theatrical techniques developed by Augusto Boal, founder of the Theatre of the Oppressed. Called "the Boal method of theatre and therapy," the Rainbow of Desire replays situations from our everyday lives and reveals invisible elements of our relationships, such as emotions, mental obstacles (a.k.a. "Cops in the Head") and desires that may be of hindrance or of help. Each session begins with theatrical games that develop a theatrical vocabulary and build group dynamics, then we move into sharing stories and choosing one to be acted out. From here, the Rainbow of Desire goes beyond the goal of helping us "get over" our past experiences; as in all branches of Theatre of the Oppressed, these workshops strive to vanquish ongoing oppressions, transforming individuals, relationships and society as a whole.

Below is a list of what we've focused on each week. For a guide to terminology used in these descriptions check out the Theatre of the Oppressed Glossary.

Games, Hopes, Fears, Images: For our group's first encounter, 20 people played icebreaker games and then shared hopes and fears for this series using a variation on Paolo Friere's "Problem Tree" popular education tool. We also worked with Colombian Hypnosis, the quintessential Theatre of the Oppressed game, as a method for developing the language of Image Theatre.
The Screen Image: A basic Rainbow of Desire technique with rotating cast that shows us their Images of the Antagonist, then trumps then with Counter-Images of the Protagonist.
Rashomon: Inspired by the Akira Kurosawa film of the same name, the characters in a story give their version of how things are from their own varied perspectives.
The Analytical Image: We expose an array of emotions contained in two characters, then match them up on a series of theatrical blind dates to see what works and what doesn't.
The Mask of the Oppressor and The Circuit of Rituals and Masks: Two techniques focusing on the concept of "mask"—a static way of presenting ourselves in specific relationships and situations. In the first technique, everyone has the opportunity to wear the mask of their own oppressor, as well as someone else's mask of the oppressed. In the second technique, one person wears the mask normally worn in one situation and applies it to other situations to see what the results are.
The Rainbow of Desires: When we're in a relationship where we want something, but we're not sure what it is, this technique separates the muddled entanglement of desires into distinct "stripes" for us to figure out which desires are useful and which ones can be done without.
The Carrousel of Oppressions: We all deal with oppressive circumstances that have similarities to and differences from one another. This technique puts people in each others shoes to witness and be witnessed how they fare.

For information on the Rainbow of Desire, or any of our other workshops, get in touch: "tophilly@gmail.com" or 215-730-0982.

Games Classes: What We Played

2011-10-24T22:26:00.003-04:00

In October of 2011 T.O. Philly held a series of short drop-in classes that bought together an assortment of games and exercises to be used with any group. Whether working with kids or young adults in a classroom, actors or dancers on a stage, organizers and activists fighting for a cause, or even friends or family in our communities, these games are useful tools to bring people together while thinking outside the box. We made time and space available after each session to strategize how we use these games in the work that we do.
Below is a list of games that we played each week, along with a little overview. Many games have been passed along by other practitioners of Theatre of the Oppressed, some directly from T.O. founder Augusto Boal, or via his book Games for Actors & Non-Actors. Other sources are given below:
Week 1:
• Name Three Times—Circle name-game where the person in the middle tries to get out by saying someone's name three times without interruption.
• Writing Names—A partner name-game in which people tell each other about themselves and then write each other's names in the air using different parts of the body.
• Cat & Mouse—Tag game with duos of people standing shoulder-to-shoulder while a mouse runs away from a cat. The mouse can escape by joining a duo, thereby turning the person on the other side of their neighbor into the new mouse.
• Walking in Pairs—A series of theatrical walks that each person performs for and with a partner. We played with eye contact, speeds, sizes, distances, moods, mirroring, opposites and several made-up environments or situations.
• Unifying Rhythms—Adapted from Boal's "Carnaval Em Rio," individuals make different movements and sounds and then morph them into one unified rhythm.
• Closing Clap—In the circle, all start with hands apart, then try to bring them together at the same time.
Week 2:

• Whoosh Boing Zap Freakout—Variation on classic circle games like "Pass the Clap" or "Zip-Zap-Zop" where a sound and gesture is passed around or across the circle. Picked up from members of Chicago's RedMoon Theatre.

• Enormous Elephant—First layer is a name game where each person picks an alliterative animal identity, second layer a rhythm game with an ever-changing pecking order. Adapted from "King Elephant" in The New Games Book and a more modern version called "Big Booty" that we picked up from some prison abolitionists in Pittsburgh.

• Go Tag—Another one from The New Games Book, originally from India, a line of people conspire to catch a single runner.

• Empty Chair Tag—One chair per person, all filled but one. The person who's "it" walks toward the empty chair and it's up to everyone else to prevent them from sitting down.

• Switching Places in the Circle—Similar game, only chairs are in a circle with one fewer chairs than people. People switch places while the person stuck in the middle runs for a free seat. Can also be played without chairs.

• The Red Shoes (a.k.a. "Big Wind Blows")—Similar game, only the person in the middle makes a statement that's true about themselves and all who share in that truth get up to find an empty seat. In Theatre of the Oppressed we often "up-level" the game by playing a second round focusing on experiences of oppression.

• Animal Tracker—Partner game where each person who has their eyes open leads their partner with eyes closed around the room by making animal noises.

Week 3:

• Hey You! What's Your Name?—Circle game where one person points at another, asks their name and moves across the circle to take their place while that next person continues the process. We played 3 rounds: 1st with the question, 2nd without the question, 3rd the answer being the name of the pointer.

• Captain's Coming—The Crew must follow orders given by the Captain(s) or else walk the plank: Captain's coming! At ease! Crew to Port/Starboard/Stern/Bow, swab the deck, Captain's ball, chow time, and maybe some other orders we made up along the way.

• Peruvian Ballgame—Classic Theatre of the Oppressed game developed in Peru. Each person makes and plays with an imaginary ball, then swaps it with one person, then a second, before trying to find and reclaim the ball that each originally had. Our version was extra hard because we swapped balls 3 times before trying to find our originals!

• The Cloth Game—Members of two teams try to score points either by tagging a cloth or tagging the person who tagged the cloth before they can get back to their place in line. This game comes from the Jana Sanskriti Theatre of the Oppressed movement in India, and also appears in Augusto Boal's Games for Actors and Non-Actors book using a hat instead of a cloth.

• Blind Obstacle Course—Another Jana Sanskriti game. Two teams each send a member out with eyes closed to sit in a chair, write their name on a piece of paper, sit in another chair and then click 2 sticks together. Sighted teammates can give verbal guidance to aid (or abet) their teammate.

• Find Your Mama Like A Little Penguin—In a circle, each person makes a non-vocal noise with their mouths and remembers the sounds of those on either side of them. All players close their eyes and wander around the room, then try to get back into place by recognizing the sounds of their original neighbors.

• Handshakes, High-Fives & Hugs—Each person has one other person with whom they shake hands, a different person that they high-five, and third person to hug. Facilitator calls out "Handshake! High-Five! Hug!" and everybody must run and pair up with the right person on cue.

• Circle of Hands/Crossed Hands/Hands to the Floor—Rhythm games using patterns of hands making rhythms on and off the floor.

Playing the Cop in the Head

2011-10-11T12:02:00.010-04:00

This is a notice about past events. For information on upcoming events, click here.

A Theatre of the Oppressed Performance

Friday, October 14th, 2011 at 7:30 p.m.

Studio 34 • 4522 Baltimore Avenue

right on the #34 trolley line in West Philadelphia

A free event • donations welcome
THE COP IN THE HEAD is a Theatre of the Oppressed technique that deals with internalized oppression. Whenever we stop ourselves from doing what want to do or saying what we need to say, there may be discouraging voices and experiences from our past that hinder our actions. In this interactive performance, we’ll take these “cops” out of our heads and deal with them one by one, with the aim of disarming them altogether.
FOR MORE INFO please call 215-730-0982 or send an email to "tophilly@gmail.com" and click here to attend the event on Facebook.

Fall 2011 Classes, Workshops & Performance

2011-09-27T22:36:00.006-04:00

This is a notice about past events. For information on upcoming events, click here.

In the fall of 2011 Philadelphia Theatre of the Oppressed hosted a number of events at Studio 34, 4522 Baltimore Avenue in West Philly (right on the #34 Trolley line):

• Games for Actors & Non-Actors (Mondays October 10, 17 & 24 from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.): 3 classes packed with fun where we'll play theatre games to use as an everyday tool for teachers, organizers, artists, actors or anyone who works with groups. Drop-in donation: $5-$10 per class.

• Playing the Cop in the Head (Friday October 14 at 7:30 p.m.): Come watch and/or participate in an interactive performance for disarming the scariest of oppressors—those that live inside of us. Free event, donations welcome.

• The Rainbow of Desire (Mondays November 7 through December 19, 7:30-9:30 p.m.) In this transformative 7-part workshop we'll unpack our relationships in all their complexities, deal with our desires onstage to determine which we like and what we can do without, and turn theatre into a rehearsal for reality. Series tuition: $55-$155, sliding scale—no one turned away for lack of funds.

To pre-register for these sessions, email "tophilly@gmail.com" or call 215-730-0982. More details coming soon.

Coming in 2012: Forum Theatre workshop series and performance, plus a Theatre of the Oppressed facilitator training.

Graphics for the Theatre of the Oppressed

2011-08-11T10:15:00.001-04:00

Since 2008 Philadelphia Theatre of the Oppressed has held public workshops and other events at community spaces in Philadelphia. Some of these events focus on particular Theatre of the Oppressed techniques (including Games for Actors and Non-Actors, Cop in the Head, or The Rainbow of Desire), while others provide ways to dialogue about specific issues (such as relationships or gentrification). Our mission is to make Theatre of the Oppressed (or "T.O." for short) accessible and affordable to people in the Philadelphia area by offering short workshops for a sliding scale tuition. In doing this work we look to T.O.'s founder Augusto Boal for inspiration, as well as the network of other Theatre of the Oppressed and social justice groups who have laid the foundation for how our workshops are put together. The International Theatre of the Oppressed community has been very supportive in sharing its experiences, and now we'd like to give something back: graphics.

For every event that we host, there is a flyer featuring images by visual artists from around the world. Many of these images come from one book: Reproduce & Revolt (or Reproduce Y Rebélate—the entire text is in both English and Spanish), a collection of copyright-free graphics edited by Josh MacPhee and Faviana Rodriguez, published by Soft Skull Press. Philadelphia Theatre of the Oppressed facilitator Morgan Andrews (also a contributor to Reproduce & Revolt) adapts these images, adding text to suit the material covered in various workshops. We now post a few of these images here so that other people using Theatre of the Oppressed can have a bank of images to promote this work. Reproduce! Revolute! Enjoy!

Top: "Games for Actors and Non-Actors" flyer using Josh MacPhee's image, "Many Hands for Human Need." Courtesy of Reproduce & Revolt.

Above right: "Un-Maksing Relationships" flyer with an image by Morgan Andrews.

Note: All images here are suitable for web-quality reproduction. For print quality graphics, email us at "tophilly@gmail.com".

"Theatre of the Oppressed"
Graphic by Morgan Andrews
Philadelphia Theatre of the Oppressed

"Image Theatre"

Graphic by Clifford Harper (London, England)

Courtesy of Reproduce & Revolt

"Forum Theatre"
(a.k.a. "Nothing of Importance to the People is Decided in Ballot Boxes")
Original graphic by Florencia Vespignani (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Courtesy of Reproduce & Revolt

"Justice Theater"

Graphic by Elizabeth Brady (Baltimore, Maryland)

Courtesy of United Workers

"Cop in the Head"

Graphic by Morgan Andrews

Philadelphia Theatre of the Oppressed

"The Rainbow of Desire" (a.k.a. "Arte Para Todos")

Original graphic by Josh MacPhee (Brooklyn, New York)

Courtesy of Just Seeds, used by permission

"Flag Wars: Images of Gentrification"

Original images by Rini Templeton (Taos, New Mexico & Mexico City)

Courtesy of Reproduce & Revolt

Click here for details on upcoming events.

Celebrate People's History with Jana Sanskriti!

2011-07-31T18:30:00.002-04:00

It's finally here: The Celebrate People's History Poster about Jana Sanskriti, India's Theatre of the Oppressed movement. Founded in the villages of West Bengal in 1985, Jana Sanskriti combines aspects of Indian folk theatre with Augusto Boal's methods (particularly Forum Theatre), empowering people to change their society. To date, Jana Sanskriti's work has reached an estimated 3 million people.

This 11" × 17" 2-color offset poster, reproduced from a linoleum cut by Morgan Andrews, is just one in a series of more than 100 posters by 80 different artists. All of these posters are available online (cheap!) from the Just Seeds Artists Cooperative. They have also been compiled in Celebrate People's History: The Poster Book of Resistance and Revolution (The Feminist Press, 2010).

For posters and books, please visit the Just Seeds website. You can also obtain them directly from Philadelphia Theatre of the Oppressed by calling 215-730-0982.

2011 Summer Workshop Series

2011-07-13T14:50:00.001-04:00

This is a notice about a past event. For information on upcoming events, click here.

"Visible & Invisible, Inside & Out"

A series of five 3-hour workshops

Wednesdays, July 13 through August 10, 1pm-4pm.

at Studio 34, 4522 Baltimore Ave, West Philadelphia

Sliding-scale tuition: $50-$100 (no one refused for lack of $)

THEATRE OF THE OPPRESSED is used by groups of people as a tool for liberation all over the world. Unlike other dramatic forms that divide spectator from actor, everyone in Theatre of the Oppressed is a "spect-actor" in workshops that serve as rehearsals for the performance of everyday life. Philadelphia Theatre of the Oppressed makes this work accessible to anyone who wants it—actors and activists, teachers and students, or anyone interested in personal and social change.

THIS 5-WEEK SERIES will highlight what’s visible and invisible within ourselves and the world around us. Each session will feature a particular sense—sight, hearing, touch, proprioception, and so on—through group games and theatrical techniques. When we highlight each of the senses, things that were once “invisible” to us take shape and become clear. By honing all of our senses, we can sharpen our perception of ourselves, our relationships, and society at large.

TO ATTEND THESE WORKSHOPS call 215-730-0982 or email “tophilly@gmail.com”. No prior theatre experience is necessary. Note that the “inside” portions of the workshops will happen in a comfortably air-conditioned space, the “outside” potions in a lovely park when the weather’s nice.

Public Performance: May 7th, 2011

2011-05-07T21:05:00.002-04:00

This is a notice about a past event.

For information on upcoming events, click here.

The Rainbow of Desire in Performance

Saturday May 7th, 2011 • 7:30 p.m.

Studio 34 Yoga|Healing|Arts

4522 Baltimore Ave. West Philadelphia

This event is FREE • donations accepted

Have you ever been in a relationship where you felt something was wrong yet you weren't quite sure what it was? Ever found yourself in situations where you knew what you needed to do but stopped yourself from taking action? What about when you experience so many different desires at once that you don't know how to sort them out? These are the sorts of quandaries we will address in The Rainbow of Desire, a public presentation for using theatre to dismantle internalized oppression.

We begin the evening by hearing stories from the lives of audience members, one of which will be reenacted onstage. We then expose the hidden elements of the story—wayward emotions, complex desires, and cops in our heads that haunt the stage like ghosts from the characters' minds. These ghosts appear first as human statues before being brought to life to do battle with each other so that we might learn what is useful and what we can do without. From there the original story is reshaped by what was experienced in revealing this hidden information, giving participants some tools to take with them into real-life situations. This is the essence of the Rainbow of Desire: a transformative performance that can be a rehearsal for reality.

In the Rainbow of Desire—as in all branches of Theatre of the Oppressed—everyone is a spect-actor, with the ability to be both in the audience and onstage. Everyone willl have opportunities to share stories, play characters, observe and offer feedback, or to embody the invisible elements of a situation. This event is free and open to the public. No theatre experience is necessary to attend or perform. For more info, call 215-730-0982, or email "tophilly@gmail.com".

Click here to invite yourself to this event on Facebook.

Spring 2011 Workshop Series

2011-04-18T00:42:00.003-04:00

This is a notice about a past event. For information on upcoming events, click here.

Mondays 4/25–5/23, 2011 • 7:30–9:30 p.m.
at Studio 34 • 4522 Baltimore Ave. West Philadelphia
Full series tuition: $35–$65 sliding scale.
WORKSHOP FULL! To put yourself on the waiting list,
send your name and phone number to "tophilly@gmail.com"

THEATRE OF THE OPPRESSED is used by groups of people to dismantle dynamics of oppression in our world. Unlike other dramatic forms that divide spectator from actor, everyone in Theatre of the Oppressed is a "spect-actor" in workshops that serve as rehearsals for the performance of everyday life.

THIS 5-WEEK SERIES will visit the various branches of Theatre of the Oppressed, including games, Image Theatre, Forum Theatre, the Cop in the Head/Rainbow of Desire techniques, as well as developing facilitation skills for bringing this work outside the workshop and into other areas of our lives.

FOR MORE INFO, call Philadelphia Theatre of the Oppressed at 215-730-0982, or email “tophilly@gmail.com”

Theatre of War: Film Screening and Discussion

2011-04-15T23:56:00.008-04:00

EVENT POSTPONED—Check back for details
at the A-Space, 4722 Baltimore Ave. Philadelphia
a free event – donations welcome

Philadelphia Theatre of the Oppressed's reading group branches out into the medium of film with a screening of Theatre of War. This 2008 documentary highlights the life and work of German-American playwright Bertolt Brecht centering around the Public Theater's 2006 production of his play Mother Courage featuring Meryl Streep.

Augusto Boal cited Brecht as a crucial influence in the development of Theatre of the Oppressed. Both Boal and Brecht made great strides with how abstract ideas about power, performance, and theatre play out in front of us. Though each of these directors' approaches to creating theatre differed in many ways (Brecht made scripted plays whereas Boal facilitated others to create their own interactive pieces of Forum Theatre), both are used all over the world as means for engaging audiences in social and political discourse, often spilling over into the politics and poetics of everyday life.

We hope you can join us for this film and discussion at the A-Space—or at least seek out the work of these revolutionary dramatists on your own!

Theatre of the Oppressed Reading Group

2011-03-21T06:39:00.002-04:00

The Book: Theatre of the Oppressed by Augusto Boal
• Part 1: “Aristotle's Coercive System of Tragedy”
Monday, March 21st, 7:30 p.m.
• Part 2: “Machiavelli's Poetics of Virtú”
Monday, March 28th, 7:30 p.m.
• Part 3: “Hegel and Brecht: The Character as Subject or as Object?"
Monday, April 11th, 7:30 p.m.
at the A-Space 4722 Baltimore Ave. West Philadelphia

In 1974, while in exile from his native Brazil, Augusto Boal published his most influential work, Theatre of the Oppressed. The book details the history of Western drama—from the ancient Greek tragedy to the modern Brazilian soap opera—as a means of placating the common people and upholding the dominance of a privileged few. Boal then posits alternative modes of theatre to reverse the paradigm, giving voice to spectators and transforming them into "spect-actors". As a book, Theatre of the Oppressed has since seen print in over 25 languages. As a practice, Theatre of the Oppressed is used by millions of people in more than 70 countries.

Come to the A-Space for discussions on each part of Boal’s work. The group will provide a comfortable space to pick through the book and we'll help each other develop an understanding of Boal's work, technique, and legacy.

Copies of the Theatre of the Oppressed can be pre-ordered in Philadelphia from Wooden Shoe Books (704 South Street, 215-413-0999) or from Bindlestiff Books (4530 Baltimore Ave, 215-222-2432). For more information, email “tophilly@gmail.com”.

Public Performance on March 11th

2011-03-11T19:30:00.001-05:00

This is a notice about a past event.

For information on upcoming events, click here.

The Rainbow of Desire in Performance

Friday March 11th at 7:30 p.m.

Studio 34 Yoga|Healing|Arts

4522 Baltimore Ave. West Philadelphia

This event is FREE • donations accepted

Have you ever been in a relationship where you felt something was wrong yet you weren't quite sure what it was? Ever found yourself in situations where you knew what you needed to do but stopped yourself from taking action? What about when you experience so many different desires at once that you don't know how to sort them out? These are the sorts of quandaries we will address in The Rainbow of Desire, a public presentation for using theatre to dismantle internalized oppression.

We begin the evening by hearing stories from the lives of audience members, one of which will be reenacted onstage. We then expose the hidden elements of the story—wayward emotions, complex desires, and cops in our heads that haunt the stage like ghosts from the characters' minds. These ghosts appear first as human statues before being brought to life to do battle with each other so that we might learn what is useful and what we can do without. From there the original story is reshaped by what was experienced in revealing this hidden information, giving participants some tools to take with them into real-life situations. This is the essence of the Rainbow of Desire: a transformative performance that can be a rehearsal for reality.

Follow this link to RVSP on Facebook.

Celebrate People's History!

2011-01-07T10:55:00.003-05:00

This is a notice about a past event. For information on upcoming events, click here.

Showing January 7th, 2011:

Jana Sanskriti: A Theater on the Field
A film by Jeanne Dosse about Forum Theatre in India
Part of the Celebrate People's History Art Show & Book Party
Friday January 7 at 7pm • Presentations start at 8 o'clock.
At Studio 34 • 4522 Baltimore Ave. Philadelphia • Free

Theatre is the center of community in rural Indian society. Historically, Indian folk theatre has been used to pass along old stories, uphold religious or moral values, and maintain the status quo, often reenforcing oppressive systems such as patriarchy and caste. In 1985 a new theatre movement emerged in the villages of West Bengal, mixing folk performance with political themes in plays created by people who are directly impacted by the issues that they act out on stage. This movement, Jana Sanskriti (Bengali for "People's Culture"), invites audience members to step into the shoes of
the actors and propose new solutions to society's problems. The community then takes these solutions and tests them out on the stage of everyday life—at home, in the field, on the street, and at the doors of those who hold power, often resulting in radical social change.

Come learn about the work of this inspiring movement with a 50-minute film and newly printed poster about Jana Sanskriti. The poster is just one in a series of more than 100 posters newly collected in Celebrate People's History: The Poster Book of Resistance and Revolution. This event will feature the book, a showing of the posters and short presentations by some of their artists—plus the Jana Sanskriti film and a Q&A with Theatre of the Oppressed activists who've spent time in West Bengal. This event is free, with posters and books available for sale.

Posters are up all month at Studio 34, 4522 Baltimore Ave in West Philadelphia. Look forward to the Celebrate People's History closing event on Friday, February 4th, featuring several artists who curated and designed the show, as well as some of the activists depicted in the posters.

January 2011 Workshop Series

2011-01-01T11:02:00.000-05:00

This is a notice about a past event. For information on upcoming events, click here.

Starting January 6th, 2011:

Theatre of the Oppressed Weekly Workshop Series

Thursdays January 6, 13, 20 & 27 • 6:00–7:30pm

LOCATION HAS BEEN CHANGED

Now at: 4824 Baltimore Ave. Philadelphia
Series tuition: $35 (no one turned away for lack of funds)
Pre-register by calling 267-909-2633 or email "tophilly@gmail.com"

Come express yourself through images, sounds, words and movements in this exciting 4-part workshop!
With the popularity of the group we started in November, T.O. Philly is opening this new Thursday evening series to include more people and explore some material that we've never done in Philadelphia
. Over the month we'll loosen the boundaries of our senses with group games and partner exercises that get us thinking and moving outside of our usual routines. Each session will build on the previous week's work, highlighting a different technique from the arsenal of the Theatre of the Oppressed. In the end, we'll all have more tools and stronger skills as performers, communicators, and dismantlers of oppression—both the oppressions within ourselves and in the world around us.

No theatre experience needed. Pre-register by emailing "tophilly@gmail.com" or call 215-730-0982.

Come Out for Forum Theatre!

2010-12-07T22:28:00.010-05:00

This is a notice about a past event. For information on upcoming events, click here.

The Attic Youth Center's

2010 Holiday Showcase

Thursday, December 16th

at the William Way Center

1315 Spruce Street

in Center City Philadelphia

Showcase runs 5pm to 8pm

Dinner served at 6pm

Forum Theatre at 7pm

Donations welcome

Come be a spect-actor in a Forum Theatre presentation by Serious Drama, the Attic Youth Center's LGBTQ justice theatre group! Serious Drama's team of actors will present a short holiday season play about being out to one's immediate family and wanting to come out to the extended family. After this initial scene, audience members will have a chance to take the place of the actors onstage and change the direction of the situation.

Serious Drama is just one of several groups presenting as part of the Attic Youth Center's Fall Showcase. Click here for more information about the Attic Youth Center and its programming.

Weekly Workshop Series at Studio 34

2010-10-09T18:47:00.012-04:00

This is a notice about a past event. For information on upcoming events, click here.

The Rainbow of Desire

Theater of the Oppressed workshops

with Morgan Andrews at Studio 34

4522 Baltimore Ave, Philadelphia

Mondays in November, 2010 • 7:30–9pm

Free Intro Workshop: November 1st

4-part series starts November 8th

Tuition: $40, payable at first session

(work exchange available upon request)

To pre-register, call 215-730-0982

or email "tophilly@gmail.com"

Come use theater to rehearse reality in this engaging and interactive series of classes. Based on the work of Brazilian director Augusto Boal, The Rainbow of Desire is a group of techniques that takes various desires out of our heads and puts them on stage where we can deal with them properly. Each session begins with fun theatrical games and warm-up exercises that build skills for role-playing stories generated from our common experiences. By putting our heads together and acting out the invisible elements of the situation, participants come up with strategies for confronting oppressors—both those in our daily lives and those inside our own heads. Called "the Boal method of theater and therapy," The Rainbow of Desire has the power to transform individuals and communities.

No experience necessary. Free intro class, Monday November 1st, 7:30–9pm. Meets weekly on the following 4 Mondays: November 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th. Space is limited—please pre-register by calling 215-730-0982, or send an email to "tophilly@gmail.com"

About the facilitator: Morgan Andrews has run theater workshops at colleges and community spaces around North and South America since 2001. He received his Theater of the Oppressed training from Augusto and Julian Boal at the Theater of the Oppressed Laboratory in New York, and with members of the Jana Sanskriti Theater of the Oppressed Movement in West Bengal, India. In addition to working at Studio 34, Morgan regularly travels to teach theater and social justice for university classes and student co-ops, and also runs the theater program at The Attic Youth Center here in Philadelphia.

The Rainbow Expo

2010-08-09T15:50:00.013-04:00

This is a notice about a past event. For information on upcoming events, click here.

Presentations from the Attic Youth Center

Thursday August 12th, 2010 • 5:00-8:00 p.m.

* Forum Theater Performance at 7:00 *

at the William Way Center, 1315 Spruce

FREE! Call 215-545-4331 for more info.

The Attic Youth Center presents its Rainbow Expo, an event showcasing the work of Philadelphia's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, hosted by the William Way Center at 13th and Spruce Streets.

From 5:00 till 7:00, visitors can enjoy snacks, short presentations and displays created by teens working in the fields of silkscreen poster design, videography, and social justice theater, as well as their involvement in Philly's wider LGBTQ communities.

At 7:00 p.m., Serious Drama—the Attic's Forum Theater troupe—will present three short plays dealing with the struggles that LGBTQ youth face today: homophobia, assigned gender roles, harassment at school, violence on the street, and living on "the down-low." After the plays, the audience can engage in the Forum by stepping into the shoes of the actors and trying to change their characters' situations.

Admission to the Rainbow Expo is free. For more information, call the Attic at 215-545-4331.

Images of Philly in the Summer

2010-08-07T14:18:00.001-04:00

This is a notice about a past event. For information on upcoming events, click here.

An Image Theater Workshop with Jo Kent-Katz & Morgan Andrews

Saturday August 7th, 11AM-3:30PM

at Studio 34 Yoga|Healing|Arts

4522 Baltimore Ave. West Philly

Suggested donation: $5-$20

No-one refused for lack of funds

To pre-register, call 215-730-0982

or email tophilly@gmail.com

Eating water ice and enduring heat waves; watching fireworks on a rooftop and waking up to the sound of gunshots; splashing in Logan Square Fountain and riding past closed public pools... What does Philly in the summer mean to you? Join your fellow Philadelphians as we explore this topic through the language of theater in a short workshop. We will play games, act out situations, and explore human sculpture techniques from Sociodrama and the Theater of the Oppressed. No previous theater experience is necessary.

Pre-register by calling 215-730-0982 or emailing tophilly@gmail.com. Please wear comfy clothes and bring a lunch to the workshop. And yes, Studio 34 is air conditioned.

Click here to see the CityPaper's preview of this event!

ACT OUT! A Workshop at the Attic Youth Center

2010-04-01T17:00:00.005-04:00

This is a notice about a past event. For information on upcoming events, click here.
Come Act OUT at the Attic Youth Center in a fun free theater workshop for everybody! This one-time event will be led by members of Acting Out, a group that meets every Tuesday and Thursday to play theater games and use improvisational techniques to explore social justice and LGBTQ issues. This workshop is a "best of" where youth have the opportunity to share some of their favorite activities with a bigger group of people. No theater experience needed—please join us!
WHEN: Thursday, April 1st, from 5PM to 7PM

WHERE: The Attic Youth Center, 255 S. 16th St. (between Locust and Spruce—enter on the side)

Justice Theater Workshop with Nommo Theatre

2010-03-13T13:00:00.022-05:00

This is a notice about a past event. For information on upcoming events, click here.

March 13, 2010, 1–4pm
@ Studio 34 Yoga|Healing|Arts

4522 Baltimore Ave.

(right on the #34 Trolley line)
Suggested tuition: $5-$15, sliding scale

—no one turned away for lack of funds.

For info and to pre-register, email tophilly@gmail.com

WHAT IS JUSTICE TO YOU and how does it relate to theater and performance art? Are you satisfied with the status quo? If not, what is your analysis and how could it affect your creation of art? These are some of the questions and themes explored by Nommo Theatre. Improvisation, free writing, excerpts of original Nommo plays, and insightful group discussion will culminate into fresh original group performances that can be used as blueprints for justice and/or guerrilla theater.

NOMMO THEATRE is devoted to creating work that entertains, provokes thought, and ignites healthy debate. Co-founders Mitchell Ferguson and Bashi Rose use theatre to present the Black experience with all its ritual, spirituality, and resistance intact. Since 1994 Nommo Theatre has produced original work in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia. Now we are proud to host Bashi and Mitchell for a 3-hour workshop on March 13th in Philadelphia.

See more from Nommo Theatre at www.nommotheatre.com.

Nommo Theatre performed in

JULIUS CAESAR,

March 11–15, 2010 in Philadelphia.

Click here for details.

One Big Experiment

2010-01-30T13:26:00.001-05:00

This is a notice about a past event. For information on upcoming events, click here.

A smorgasbord of improv games and concoctions

facilitated by Beth Nixon and Jo Kent Katz

Saturday, January 30th, 1pm-5pm

at Studio 34 Yoga|Healing|Arts

4522 Baltimore Ave. Philadelphia

(right on the #34 trolley line at 45th St.)

Suggested donation: $10-$20

For more info, call 215-730-0982, or email tophilly@gmail.com

*** WORKSHOP FULL — PRE-REGISTER FOR THE NEXT ONE ON MARCH 13TH!

Come play games! In this super fun workshop, Beth Nixon and Jo Kent Katz bring together an assortment of games and improvisation tricks that can be used with any group. Whether working with kids or young adults in a classroom, actors or dancers on a stage, organizers and activists fighting for a cause, or even friends or family in your community, these games can be a useful tool to bring people together while thinking outside the box. These games come from a variety of sources, including American theatrical director Viola Spolin, Anglo-Canadian dramatist Keith Johnstone, Beazilian activist Augusto Boal, and a rich history of international folklore that preceded them. By the end of the workshop, participants will have created something magical together—One Big Experiment!

No prior theater experience is necessary.

Call 215-730-0982 or email tophilly@gmail.com for info.

*** WORKSHOP FULL — PRE-REGISTER FOR THE NEXT ONE ON MARCH 13TH!

The Rainbow of Desire: Workshop December 12th, 2009

2009-12-12T19:23:00.001-05:00

This is a notice about a past event. For information on upcoming events, click here.

The Rainbow of Desire

A Theatre of the Oppressed workshop

facilitated by Jo KentKatz and Morgan Andrews

Saturday, Dec 12th, 2009 • 11am-4pm

at Studio 34 Yoga | Healing | Arts

4522 Baltimore Avenue, West Philadelphia

Suggested tuition $15-$35, sliding scale

—no one turned away for lack of funds.
Pre-register by calling 215-730-0982, or email tophilly@gmail.com

THEATRE OF THE OPPRESSED is used by groups of people to dismantle dynamics of oppression in our world. Unlike other dramatic forms that divide spectator from actor, everyone in Theater of the Oppressed is a "spect-actor" in workshops that serve as rehearsals for the performance of everyday life.

THE RAINBOW OF DESIRE is a genre of Theatre of the Oppressed techniques that take apart our interactions with others and put them back together in different ways. In daily life, these interactions can involve friends, family, lovers or others that we encounter in the places where we work, teach, learn or live; In the workshop, participants play the roles of these characters, dealing with each other in different and creative ways. This transformative 5-hour workshop will begin with games and exercises that build up to putting difficult relationship moments onstage and viewing them through a new lens. With this information the group will work to unearth hidden roots of oppression and break the frustrating cycles that we fall into. No prior theatre experience is required. To pre-register for this workshop, please call 215-730-0982, or email tophilly@gmail.com

Gentrification Forum, Part 2: November 14th

2009-11-14T18:50:00.001-05:00

This is a notice about a past event. For information on upcoming events, click here.

IMAGE THEATRE ON GENTRIFICATION

A workshop facilitated by Esteban Kelly and Morgan Andrews

WHEN: Saturday Nov 14, 2009 • 11am-4pm

WHERE: Studio 34 Yoga | Healing | Arts

4522 Baltimore Avenue, West Philadelphia

TUITION: Suggested $15-$35, sliding scale ($10 for co-op members). No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

PRE-REGISTER by calling 215-730-0982, or email tophilly@gmail.com

IMAGE THEATRE is a branch of Theatre of the Oppressed rooted in the language of the human body. By sharpening our ability to "speak" this language, we can collectively communicate things that are too often lost in the language of words alone. Image Theatre workshops use a trust-building group process to tackle tough issues and challenge ourselves while having fun.

IMAGE THEATRE ON GENTRIFICATION will use popular education tools and our first-hand experiences to create pictures, movement, sound and dialogue about gentrification, culminating in action steps that we can take on as a community to move forward without trampling others underfoot. To participate, please pre-register by calling 215-730-0982, or email tophilly@gmail.com. The workshop will start promptly at 11am. Please wear comfortable clothes and bring a lunch.

*This event is co-sponsored by Mariposa Food Co-op's Food Justice and Anti-Racism Working Group. Pre-registration is requested. Call 215-730-0982 or email tophilly@gmail.com to reserve a spot.

**Part 1 of this Gentrification Forum was a screening of Flag Wars, a film documenting what happened when an influx of European-American gay couples began moving into in a mostly African-American neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio. Though we will be touching on some of the issues brought up in Flag Wars, one need not have seen the film to participate in the Image Theatre workshop.

Gentrification: Film Screening and Workshop

2009-11-11T18:43:00.001-05:00

This is a notice about a past event. For information on upcoming events, click here.

2 Events • 2 Dates • 2 Spaces

Philadelphia Theatre of the Oppressed and Mariposa Food Co-op present a two-part event about changes in our neighborhoods. The first event is a film screening, the second a Theatre of the Oppressed workshop. These events are open to the public—come to one or both. Pre-registration for the workshop is required.

PART 1: FLAG WARS

Free documentary screening and discussion

Wednesday, November 11th, 7pm

The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut Street, Philadelphia

Shot over a four-year period, Linda Goode Bryant and Laura Poitras’ Flag Wars is a poignant and very personal look at a community in Columbus, Ohio, undergoing gentrification. What happens when an influx of gay white homebuyers move into a working-class black neighborhood? As the new residents restore the beautiful but run-down homes, black homeowners must fight to hold onto their community and heritage. The inevitable clashes expose prejudice and self-interest on both sides, as well as the common dream to have a home to call one's own. Winner of the Jury Award at the South by Southwest Film Festival, Flag Wars is a candid, unvarnished portrait of privilege, poverty and local politics taking place across America.

This screening of Flag Wars will be followed by an open discussion facilitated by Mariposa Food Co-op's Food Justice and Anti-Racism Committee. This event is free and open to the public.

PART 2: IMAGE THEATER ON GENTRIFICATION

A workshop facilitated by Esteban Kelly and Morgan Andrews

Saturday, November 14th, 11am-4pm

Studio 34 Yoga | Healing | Arts

4522 Baltimore Avenue, West Philadelphia

Suggested tuition: $15-$35, sliding scale ($10 for Mariposa members). No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

**Pre-register by calling 215-730-0982, or email tophilly@gmail.com

IMAGE THEATRE ON GENTRIFICATION will use themes from Flag Wars and our first-hand experiences to build movement, sound and dialogue about gentrification, culminating in action steps that we can take on as a community to move forward without trampling others underfoot. To participate, please pre-register by calling 215-730-0982, or email tophilly@gmail.com. The workshop will start promptly at 11am. Please wear comfortable clothes and bring a lunch.

Pre-registration for this workshop was required. Call 215-730-0982 or email tophilly@gmail.com for info.

Upcoming Monthly Workshop Series at Studio 34

2009-10-24T19:08:00.003-04:00

This is a notice about past events. For information on upcoming events, click here.

Philadelphia Theatre of the Oppressed offered three Saturday workshops in the fall of 2009. Using the language of theatre, each of these sessions focused on a particular technique or theme aimed at dismantling dynamics of oppression in our world, our communities, and our selves. As a series, each workshop built on the skills used in the one before it, but every workshop also stood on its own. People came to one, two or all three regardless of prior theatre experience. The schedule was:

• October 24th, 2009: Games for Actors and Non-Actors, 11am-2pm

• November 14th, 2009: Image Theatre on Gentrification, 11am-4pm

• December 12th, 2009: The Rainbow of Desire, 11am-4pm

Location: Studio 34 Yoga | Healing | Arts

4522 Baltimore Avenue, West Philadelphia

Tuition: Suggested $5-$35 per session, sliding scale donation

(No one turned away for lack of funds. Work-trade also available.)

Pre-register: Call 215-730-0982, or email tophilly[at]gmail[dot]com

Please bring: Comfortable clothes and a bag lunch

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS:

Games for Actors and Non-Actors

Facilitated by Jess Levy, Jo Kent+Katz and Morgan Andrews

Saturday, October 24th, NEW TIMES: 11am-2pm

Studio 34 Yoga | Healing | Arts

4522 Baltimore Avenue, West Philadelphia

NEW TUITION: $5-$15, sliding scale

Pre-register by calling 215-730-0982, or email tophilly[at]gmail[dot]com

GAMES FOR ACTORS & NON-ACTORS are the ever-growing collection of theatrical games that make up the foundation of Theatre of the Oppressed. These games loosen the boundaries of our senses and work to get us thinking and moving outside of our usual routines. The games are a useful tool for performers, as well as teachers, organizers, activists and anyone who works with groups. In this 3-hour workshop we will play more than 20 of these games and come up with strategies on how they can be utilized in the work that we do.

Due to the rescheduling of Spiral Q Puppet Theater's annual PEOPLEHOOD Parade and Pageant, this workshop has been packed into a three-hour session. Join us at 11am for Games, then at 2pm for a walk down to Clark Park to see the Parade arrive and the Pageant performance!

Image Theatre on Gentrification

(Co-presented by Mariposa Food Co-op**)

Facilitated by Esteban Kelly and Morgan Andrews

Saturday, November 14th, 11am-4pm

Studio 34 Yoga | Healing | Arts

4522 Baltimore Avenue, West Philadelphia

Tuition $15-$35, sliding scale ($10 for Mariposa members)
Pre-register by calling 215-730-0982, or email tophilly[at]gmail[dot]com

IMAGE THEATRE is a branch of Theatre of the Oppressed rooted in the language of the human body. By sharpening our ability to "speak" this language, we can collectively communicate things that are too often lost in the language of words alone. This 5-hour workshop will use a group process to build movement, sound and dialogue about gentrification, culminating in action steps on what we can take on as a community to move forward without trampling others underfoot.

**This event is cosponsored by Mariposa Food Co-op's Food Justice and Anti-Racism working group. The workshop is a follow-up to the screening of the film Flag Wars on November 11th at the Rotunda, 4014 Walnut Street, West Philadelphia. Admission to the film is free. The workshop is open to all.

The Rainbow of Desire

Facilitated by Jo Kent+Katz and Morgan Andrews

Saturday, December 12th, 11am-4pm

Studio 34 Yoga | Healing | Arts

4522 Baltimore Avenue, West Philadelphia

Tuition $15-$35, sliding scale
Pre-register by calling 215-730-0982, or email tophilly[at]gmail[dot]com

THE RAINBOW OF DESIRE is a family of Theatre of the Oppressed techniques aimed at disarming our most intimate oppressors: those inside our own heads. In this transformative 5-hour workshop, we will take some of these oppressors out of our heads and put them onstage where the whole group can tackle them together.

If you have questions or you'd like to pre-register for any future workshops, please call 215-730-0982, or email tophilly[at]gmail[dot]com

Augusto Boal, 1931–2009

2009-05-02T12:47:00.002-04:00

Augusto Boal, founder of Theatre of the Oppressed, passed away in his home city of Rio de Janeiro on May 1st, 2009. He had been ill for quite some time yet continued to write books and lead workshops that carried on the grand experiment of Theatre of the Oppressed. He was always playing and constantly came up with new ideas that were full of life and energy. His theories on art and theatre danced with a sharp social and political critique that sprang into action via his work as a director, an author, a politician and a person. Now this work is, as was meant to be, in the hands of others to continue.

Our friends from the Theatre of the Oppressed Laboratory (TOPLAB) in New York sent along the following short essay, read by Augusto Boal as the featured presenter at the United Nations' annual World Theater Day in Geneva, Switzerland a few months before his death. On May 26th, 2009 TOPLAB also celebrated the life of Augusto Boal with an evening of Forum Theatre led by his son, Julian Boal, at Riverside Church in West Harlem.

World Theater Day Message
by Augusto Boal, March 27th, 2009

All human societies are "spectacular" in their daily life and produce "spectacles" at special moments. They are "spectacular" as a form of social organization and produce "spectacles" like the one you have come to see.

Even if one is unaware of it, human relationships are structured in a theatrical way. The use of space, body language, choice of words and voice modulation, the confrontation of ideas and passions, everything that we demonstrate on the stage, we live in our lives. We are theater!

Weddings and funerals are "spectacles", but so, also, are daily rituals so familiar that we are not conscious of this. Occasions of pomp and circumstance, but also the morning coffee, the exchanged good-mornings, timid love and storms of passion, a senate session or a diplomatic meeting --all is theater.

One of the main functions of our art is to make people sensitive to the "spectacles" of daily life in which the actors are their own spectators, performances in which the stage and the stalls coincide. We are all artists. By doing theater, we learn to see what is obvious but what we usually can't see because we are only used to looking at it. What is familiar to us becomes unseen: doing theater throws light on the stage of daily life.

Last September, we were surprised by a theatrical revelation: we, who thought that we were living in a safe world, despite wars, genocide, slaughter and torture which certainly exist, but far from us in remote and wild places. We, who were living in security with our money invested in some respectable bank or in some honest trader's hands in the stock exchange were told that this money did not exist, that it was virtual, a fictitious invention by some economists who were not fictitious at all and neither reliable nor respectable. Everything was just bad theater, a dark plot in which a few people won a lot and many people lost all. Some politicians from rich countries held secret meetings in which they found some magic solutions. And we, the victims of their decisions, have remained spectators in the last row of the balcony.

Twenty years ago, I staged Racine's Phèdre in Rio de Janeiro. The stage setting was poor: cow hides on the ground surrounded by bamboo stalks. Before each presentation, I used to say to my actors: "The fiction we created day by day is over. When you cross those stalks of bamboo, none of you will have the right to lie. Theater is the Hidden Truth".

When we look beyond appearances, we see oppressors and oppressed people, in all societies, ethnic groups, genders, social classes and casts; we see an unfair and cruel world. We have to create another world because we know it is possible. But it is up to us to build this other world with our hands and by acting on the stage and in our own life.

Participate in the "spectacle" which is about to begin and once you are back home, with your friends act your own plays and look at what you were never able to see: that which is obvious. Theater is not just an event; it is a way of life!

We are all actors: being a citizen is not living in society, it is changing it.

There is a space to leave your condolences online at www.theatreoftheoppresed.org, and take a look at Esteban Kelly's blog post about Augusto Boal at Black Maps.

Cop in the Head Workshop: May 2nd

2009-05-02T01:00:00.001-04:00

This is a notice about a past event. For information on upcoming events, click here.

Philadelphia Theatre of the Oppressed presents
COP IN THE HEAD: A One-Day Workshop
facilitated by Kate Wand and Morgan Andrews
Saturday May 2nd, 2009 • 10am to 4pm
at Studio 34 • 4522 Baltimore Ave, Philadelphia
Suggested tuition: $15-$30.
No one turned away for lack of funds.

TO PRE-REGISTER email tophilly[at]gmail[dot]com.
THEATRE OF THE OPPRESSED is used by groups of people to address dynamics of oppression in our world. Counter to traditional dramatic forms where there is a division between spectator and actor, everyone in Theater of the Oppressed is a "spect-actor" in workshops that serve as rehearsals for the performance of everyday life.

COP IN THE HEAD is a Theatre of the Oppressed technique that deals with internalized oppression. Whenever we stop ourselves from doing what want to do or saying what we need to say, there may be discouraging voices and experiences from our past that hinder our actions. In this workshop, we’ll take these “cops” out of our heads and deal with them one by one, with the aim of disarming them altogether. No prior theatre experience required.

FOR INFO AND TO PRE-REGISTER please call 215-730-0982 or send an email totophilly[at]gmail[dot]com

Take a look at Esteban Kelly's blog post about this workshop and about Theatre of the Oppressed founder Augusto Boal, at Black Maps.

Philadelphia Theatre of the Oppressed

Workshop Series: From Image to Action

Games for Actors and Non-Actors: What We Played, January 10th, 2012

T.O. Philly News 2011-2012

The Vehicle Game

A Theatre of the Oppressed Glossary

Love and Anger and Animals

Colombian Hypnosis, Indian Hypnosis

About T.O. Philly

T.O. Philly News:

Rainbow of Desire Workshop Series

Games Classes: What We Played

Playing the Cop in the Head

Fall 2011 Classes, Workshops & Performance

Graphics for the Theatre of the Oppressed

Celebrate People's History with Jana Sanskriti!

2011 Summer Workshop Series

Public Performance: May 7th, 2011

Spring 2011 Workshop Series

Theatre of War: Film Screening and Discussion

EVENT POSTPONED—Check back for detailsat the A-Space, 4722 Baltimore Ave. Philadelphiaa free event – donations welcome

Theatre of the Oppressed Reading Group

Public Performance on March 11th

Celebrate People's History!

Showing January 7th, 2011:

January 2011 Workshop Series

Starting January 6th, 2011:

Come Out for Forum Theatre!

Weekly Workshop Series at Studio 34

The Rainbow Expo

Images of Philly in the Summer

ACT OUT! A Workshop at the Attic Youth Center

Justice Theater Workshop with Nommo Theatre

One Big Experiment

The Rainbow of Desire: Workshop December 12th, 2009

Gentrification Forum, Part 2: November 14th

Gentrification: Film Screening and Workshop

Upcoming Monthly Workshop Series at Studio 34

Augusto Boal, 1931–2009

Cop in the Head Workshop: May 2nd

EVENT POSTPONED—Check back for details
at the A-Space, 4722 Baltimore Ave. Philadelphia
a free event – donations welcome