Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores how Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) survived the political and historical context that saw its birth. It analyzes not only individual and group TO practice but also the systems of power in which TO practice itself circulates. The Augusto Boal’s concrete experiences to see how he was influenced–and sometimes how he influenced in return–the historical moments through which he passed. The book aims to pose some examples of the analysis of oppressions not as isolated events and experiences but as overlapping, contradictory, mutually constitutive constellations of power. It offers clear, accessible descriptions of a variety of TO techniques. The practices and theories of TO arose in particular moments and places, for specific reasons, framed by specific struggles, events, power structures, and aesthetic traditions. Workshops are the most common pedagogical form used to “multiply” TO practices.