Pedagogy of acting: a study on the theatrical work of Augusto Boal during his Latin-American exile

Abstract

This study will examine Augusto Boal's theatrical work between the years of 1971 and 1976, period of his exile in Latin-America. This is when Boal systematizes the techniques and concepts of his playwriting, emphasizing the pedagogical element. The study deals with the establishment of a new form of pedagogy of acting, in which the practice extends to theory and dramaturgy. Five little-known plays will be studied:: "Torquemada", "A Tempestade", "As Mulheres de Atenas", "O Homem que era uma fábrica" and "A última viagem da avó imortal"; and four well-known theoretical works : "Teatro do Oprimido e outras poéticas políticas", "Categorias do Teatro Popular", "200 Jogos e Exercícios para o Ator e o Não-Ator com Vontade de Dizer Algo Através do Teatro" and "Técnicas Latino-Americanas de Teatro Popular". The study of these works will show how the actor's art becomes a symbol of political action. Written at a moment of intense cultural repression not only in Brazil, but also throughout all Latin America, the importance of these works is that they establish a dialogue with the fragmentation of the left in Latin American countries and search for new interpretative and dramatic forms which can bring about social transformation. The theatre of Boal when linked to the political problems of the 1970's, seems to establish both a continuity and a discontinuity, as well as a critical detachment of certain ideas present in the works of Teatro de Arena.