Augusto Boal and Brazillian IAGP conference

[Adam Blatner]

Hello Bud, 
   I'm glad you bring the name of Augusto Boal to the attention of our group. His approach may be as influential as Moreno's in the long run. Boal has been through a variety of ups and downs and has just been awarded a pension in Brazil after a long struggle. He tends to differentiate himself from psychodrama, thinking that psychodrama isn't political enough, but his Rainbow of Desire approach addresses the idea of personal and psychological oppression. Interestingly, that approach emerged around the mid-1980s, stimulated by his speaking at an IAGP conference (I think it was in Amsterdam).
     
     His work is more political, and he doesn't want the Theatre of the Oppressed to be thought of as therapy. I don't think he spoke at the IAGP conference, then. Now, as for finding someone who does TO work-- I don't know that he has "representatives"--he's not that kind of guy... he does his thing... but there are a number of TO centers larger and smaller around the world and some in the USA, and a number of people who do variations of TO, in Omaha, Nebraska, in Seattle, and so forth. 
     If you want, I'll ask around and find out if anyone does TO in the NYC area, and you can ask around also.

    The whole field of "applied theatre" is bigger there, and they draw in Boal among others. 

    I share your intuition that there are a number of people who envision drama as serving a broader goal than entertainment, or therapy, and of course that is what the book I'm working on is about!  And this vision includes many elements from applications in community building, personal empowerment, wholesome recreation, education, and other dimensions that are compatible with Moreno's vision of "sociatry."

         It might be fun to consider afresh what would be some of the components of an equivalent of psychiatry applied to society or/and culture. 

         Warmly, Adam

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: BARNETT WEISS 
  To: list at grouptalkweb.org 
  Sent: Monday, August 07, 2006 10:38 AM
  Subject: Augusto Boal and Brazillian IAGP conference


  Does anyone know if Boal was invited to or spoke or presented at the conference?  I did not see his name mentioned anywhere.  There is some contact being pursued to have him or his representative at our ASGPP conference this coming Spring.  
  Thanks, blessings, Bud Weiss


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