Theater of the Oppressed Workshops, March 1-2
Presenter: Marc Weinblatt, founder & director of the Mandala Center in Port Townsend, WA
Wednesday March 1
6-8:30 p.m.
119 Aderhold Hall
Thursday March 2
*9-12 p.m & 1-5 p.m.
G23 Dean's Conference Room, Aderhold Hall
*9-12 p.m. workshop is for anyone with TO experience
1-5 p.m. workshop is for anyone and everyone, free!
Anyone and everyone are invited to participate, free!
Please RSVP to Jennifer Wooten, wootenja@uga.edu
PRESENTER
Marc Weinblatt has been a professional educator, artist, activist and workshop facilitator since 1980. Formerly Artistic Director of the Seattle Public Theater, Weinblatt is an internationally recognized leader in the use of Augusto Boal's groundbreaking Theater of the Oppressed (T.O.) to stimulate personal and social change. He has worked with diverse communities ranging from police to homeless youth, from academics to refugees in Azerbaijan. Weinblatt also directs the multi-generational (17-77 yrs old) Poetic Justice Theatre Ensemble, generating community dialogue on burning social issues.
March 1, 6-8:30 p.m. Intro to the Theater of the Oppressed & Multicultural-Multilingual Dialogue
This workshop will provide an overview on the practice and facilitation of the internationally acclaimed interactive techniques developed by Brazilian theatre artist, educator and activist Augusto Boal. In alignment with the education series of Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, the material addressed will adapt to the reality and needs of the workshop participants. Room 119 Aderhold Hall.
March 2, 9 a.m.-noon Theater of the Oppressed for Facilitators
Designed for those with some experience with Theater of the Oppressed, the group will focus on the role of the "joker" in TO work. The workshop will feature practice and discussion of TO interactive theater techniques, focusing on particular concerns for facilitators in a variety of settings. G23 Dean's Conference Room, Aderhold Hall.
March 2, 1-5 p.m. Rainbow of Desire Workshop
Theatrical deconstruction of a challenging relationship. For deepening understanding of self and others in a given situation. A powerful aid in conflict resolution capable of bridging gaps in polarized groups as well as between individuals. G23 Dean's Conference Room, Aderhold Hall.
What is Theatre of the Oppressed?
As created by Brazilian visionary, Augusto Boal, Theatre of the Oppressed (T.O.) is a form of popular community based education which uses theater as a tool for transformation. Originally developed out of Boal's work with peasant and worker populations, it is now used all over the world for social and political activism, conflict resolution, community building, therapy, and government legislation.
Inspired by the vision of Paulo Freire and his landmark treatise on education, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, T.O. invites critical thinking. It is about analyzing rather than accepting, questioning rather than giving answers. It is also about "acting" rather than just talking. In T.O., the audience is not made of spectators but "spect-actors".
Through the evocative language of theatre, everyone is invited to share their opinion on the issues at hand. Boal's books have been translated into 35 languages and the work radiates from his centers in Rio de Janeiro and Paris as well as London, Calcutta, Vancouver, Toronto, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Italy, Korea, Burkina Faso, Puerto Rico, and many others. In the U.S., active centers can be found in New York, Omaha, and Seattle. It is also practiced on a grassroots level by teachers, social workers, therapists, and activists all over the world.
For more information: www.mandalaforchange.com