Theatre Of The Oppressed Rhetorical Analysis

Introduction:
Theatre of the Oppressed was first elaborated in the 1960’s by a Brazilian named Augusto Boal, he was raised in Rio de Janeiro and then attended a Colombian university. Upon completion of his studies he returned to Brazil, he abandoned his studied academic career and began working in the Arena Theatre near his new home in São Paulo. Boal and his team initially began in Brazil and transferred later across to Europe where they used theatre as a medium to overcome oppression in people’s lives in any scenario. Boal spent a few years working at the Arena Theatre in São Paulo, there he spent time exploring and experimenting within theatre and drama which resulted in his use of theatre to promote change, specifically social and political

As a result, Theatre of the Oppressed is based on a certain set of principles. Although they can vary depending on many issues e.g. theoretical outlook, there are two principles which do not differ. Boal himself states that Theatre of the Oppressed has two fundamental principles, “1 To help the spectator become a protagonist of the dramatic action so that he/she can, 2 apply those actions s/he has practiced in the theatre to real life” (Schaedler, 2010). Since the development of Theatre of the Oppressed in the early 1970’s it has been used for a variety of areas such as of social activities within educational settings, cultural and social work environments. The principles of Theatre of the Oppressed are portrayed through the various techniques incorporated within Theatre of the Oppressed, these include; Forum Theatre, Invisible Theatre and Image Theatre. There are all effective and contribute to the overall achievement of the aims and principles. Image Theatre uses ‘stills’ of images or bodies doing specific actions and facial expressions to portray the emotions and related social issue. I participated in Invisible Theatre and I found it to be incredibly interesting to learn about this specific form of

I hope to work in a youth setting and re-use games and exercises. As a young professional, it was beneficial to see this module directed by three facilitators who have different styles. It was a great opportunity to learn how to adapt your style to work best with your fellow facilitators and create an optimum learning environment for the group. The purpose of all forms of Theatre of the Oppressed is to transform spectators into protagonists. The process is meant to inspire people to act and make a change within the society they live, rather than accepting the challenges and hardship that are present. This is an important life lesson commonly used throughout youth and family services to approach a problem in an emphatical manner by considering others first, ahead of yourself. I have learnt to respect the views of others and this is a skill I value deeply and hope I can continue to improve on further. Theatre of the Oppressed has been an amazing learning opportunity and I value its premise immensely, I have developed further as an individual in many senses and improved skills and weaknesses. I feel everything I have learnt and improved is transferable into my personal and professional life. I will be able to reuse the games and exercises which I participated in. They helped me, and my classmates grow individually and as group and become more aware, respectful and trusting of one another. In a