Augusto Boal 2

Wed Aug 9 07:05:16 CDT 2006

Hi Adam,
I asked about Boal. A colleague - Rosane Rodrigues - will send us information on this subject soon. She directed an Improvisation Theatre on the Closing Ceremony of the IAGP Congress, which worked as a resonance presentation of subgroups creations. It is another use for these theatre groups.

Heloisa

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Adam Blatner 
  To: Heloisa Fleury 
  Cc: list at grouptalkweb.org 
  Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2006 2:40 PM
  Subject: Augusto Boal 2

  Hi Heloisa,
       Say, do you have any colleagues you can ask about Boal?  I understood that he was exposed to psychodrama in the 1960s, before writing his first TO book; that his wife at the time was a psychoanalyst who also did psychodrama. Or was it that he attended a psychodrama group?  
        In spite of this, Boal seems to deny the influence of psychodrama in his work.

       I certainly honor his approach, and acknowledge the many original components of it. Indeed, did you know I'm in the midst of compiling an anthology of approaches to applied theatre with a chapter devoted to Theatre of the Oppressed?

        Nevertheless, some of his techniques were in used by psychodramatists also in the 1960s-- such as family sculpture--then called "action sociometry."
       As you know, though, there are many different sub-approaches within psychodrama, and it is very possible for someone to see how one director conducts a session and conclude (prematurely) that they all operate the same way. The analogy to American Indians may be stretching it, but many people don't know that the nature of tribal culture was as different between Native American Indian tribes in a relatively small region such as Texas (where I now live).. as different as the cultures of, say ancient Greece and ancient Persia,  or between Norway and Morocco. 
          You know that many psychodramatists are also more integrative of psychoanalytic ideas, more in Europe and South America, and others are more purely Morenian. Now we recognize other subgroups, such as those who have integrated more Jungian, Rogerian, and other approaches. 

          So, back to Boal, it may be that he just overgeneralized.  Perhaps I'm mistaken, and I would be open to being corrected.  If you know some who can fill us in on the historical roots it would help.

          Also, Boal (this is funny) sees psychodrama as being insufficiently political, aiming instead at helping people adjust to a society whose economic, social, and other norms need to be challenged. That was a little bit true about psychodrama and other forms of psychotherapy back in the 1960s, but starting with feminism's challenges in the 1970, the growth of sociodrama, axiodrama, and other approaches that address these cultural influences has been a big part of psychodrama. Also, Moreno's vision from the beginning transcended mere psychotherapy for the individual or even family and small group.  So again it's easy to get a take on a field and stick to it, instead of noticing how much the field has continued to evolve.
        Alas, this is also true for many psychiatrists and textbooks in the USA (and perhaps Europe), where talk about psychodrama--if it is mentioned at all--tends to refer back to Moreno rather than the 2nd and 3rd and 4th generation of psychodramatists since his death.

           Warmly, Adam

    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Heloisa Fleury 
    To: Adam Blatner ; list at grouptalkweb.org 
    Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2006 9:11 AM
    Subject: Re: Augusto Boal and Brazillian IAGP conference

    Dear Adam, Bud and All,

    Augusto Boal was not invited for the IAGP conference. He has been very important for Brazilian theatre, but presents himself as related to Art.

    In Sao Paulo, there are many theatre groups inspired on his work, but closer to psychodrama. One of the best is a work on a Public Space in Sao Paulo directed by psychodramatists and also by group theatres. It is held every Saturday morning, opened to anyone who is passing by. 

    Warm regards,

    Heloisa

    ----- Original Message ----- 
      From: Adam Blatner 
      To: list at grouptalkweb.org 
      Sent: Monday, August 07, 2006 1:13 PM
      Subject: Re: Augusto Boal and Brazillian IAGP conference

      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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