Theatre of the Oppressed

'Boal's terrific energy came from his faith in the creativity, spontaneity and ability of all people, however underprivileged, to change their situation' -- The Guardian 'Should be read by everyone in the world of theatre who has any pretensions at all to political commitment' -- John Arden, playwright '[His] achievement is so remarkable, so original and so ground-breaking that I have no hesitation in describing the book as the most important theoretical work on the theatre in modern times' -- George Wellwarth, author of Modern Drama and the Death of God 'Oppression, according to Augusto Boal, is when one person is dominated by the monologue of another and has no chance to reply. Boal's life is devoted to giving those who are in this one-down position the tools with which to express themselves and discover a way out of their powerlessness' -- The Harvard Gazette 'An affable intellectual and an effervescent teacher, [Boal] was a theatrical Johnny Appleseed who spent his later years spreading his doctrines of the theater as a land of equal opportunity for professionals and nonprofessionals alike' -- The New York Times

Augusto Boal (1931-2009) was a Brazilian theatre practitioner, drama theorist and political activist. He is the author of Theatre of the Oppressed (Pluto Press, 2019).

Preface to the 2008 edition Preface to the 2000 edition The Unruly Protagonist Preface to the 1974 edition 1. Aristotles Coercive System of Tragedy Introduction Art Imitates Nature What is the Meaning of Imitation? What, then, is the Purpose of Art and Science? Major Arts and Minor Arts What does Tragedy Imitate? What is Happiness? And What is Virtue? Necessary Characteristics of Virtue The Degrees of Virtue What is Justice? In What Sense can Theatre Function as an Instrument for Purifi cation and Intimidation? The Ultimate Aim of Tragedy A Short Glossary of Simple Words How Aristotles Coercive System of Tragedy Functions Different Types of Confl ict: Hamartia and Social Ethos Conclusion 2. Machiavelli and the Poetics of Virt The Feudal Abstraction The Bourgeois Concretion Machiavelli and Mandragola Modern Reductions of Virt 3. Hegel and Brecht: The Character as Subject or the Character as Object? The Epic Concept Types of Poetry in Hegel Characteristics of Dramatic Poetry, Still According to Hegel Freedom of the Character-Subject A Word Poorly Chosen Does Thought Determine Being (or Vice Versa)? Can Man be Changed? Confl ict of Wills or Contradiction of Needs? Empathy or What? Emotion or Reason? Catharsis and Repose, or Knowledge and Action? How to Interpret the New Works? The Rest Does Not Count: They Are Minor Formal Differences Between the Three Genres Empathy or Osmosis 4. Poetics of the Oppressed Experiments with the Peoples Theatre in Peru Conclusion: Spectator, a Bad Word! 5. Development of the Arena Theatre of So Paulo Need for the Joker Goals of the Joker Structures of the Joker Appendices Notes Index