Forum Theater is a participatory theater technique that presents a problematic situation in a short play, inviting the audience, as active agents, to reflect, debate, and propose alternative solutions. Developed by Augusto Boal within the Theater of the Oppressed, this dynamic fosters empowerment and collective action to address social, educational, or community issues.
Preparation
- Define the topic: Choose a specific issue relevant to the participants (e.g., social exclusion, workplace conflicts, inequality).
- Create an initial script: Prepare a short play that portrays the problem and ends with an unresolved conflict.
- Recruit actors or facilitators: Include volunteers or facilitators to act as key characters.
- Plan the space: Ensure you have a large enough area for performances and interaction.
Step-by-step instructions
- Introduction:
- Explain the purpose of Forum Theater and its participatory dynamic.
- Encourage the audience to actively engage as “spect-actors” (spectators who also act).
- Play presentation:
- Perform the problematic scene clearly, highlighting the main conflicts.
- Stop the play at a critical moment, leaving the resolution open.
- Audience intervention:
- Invite “spect-actors” to suggest and act out alternatives to resolve the conflict.
- Participants can replace an actor and enact their proposed solution while others observe and discuss its feasibility.
- Collective reflection:
- Facilitate a dialogue to analyze the proposed interventions:
- What worked well?
- What could be improved?
- How does this relate to the group’s reality?
- Facilitate a dialogue to analyze the proposed interventions:
- Closure and action:
- Summarize the conclusions and lessons learned.
- Encourage discussion on how to implement the proposed solutions in real-life contexts.
