The Aesthetics of the Oppressed

by Augusto Boal, Adrian Jackson (Translator)

Augusto Boal's workshops and theatre exercises are renowned throughout the world for their life-changing effects. At last this major director, practitioner, and author of many books on community theatre speaks out about the subjects most important to him – the practical work he does with diverse communities, the effects of globalization, and the creative possibilities for all of us.

Genres: Theatre, Art, Nonfiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Augusto Boal was a Brazilian theatre director, writer and politician. He was the founder of Theatre of the Oppressed, a theatrical form originally used in radical popular education movements.

His books are very influential. With 22 published works, translated to more than 20 languages, his views are studied in Theatre schools all over the world.

Reviews

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazingly detailed yet conversationally crisp, Boal uncovers the deep roots of his Forum Theatre as well as the many branches his Theatre of the Oppressed flowered into. From imagined conversations over a range of historical developments in theatre, to his own traversing of the political arena and prison, he maintains the strong belief that theatre and the arts’ purpose is to transform humanity; not to stop at just an “a-ha” moment but free spectators from their passivity. As radically militant as this superobjective may seem, his style of writing reveal him to be a kind-hearted softie who could just as easily slip in backstage gossip and shape it into revelations about his ever-evolving style of theatre.

[Pedro Ernesto · Rating 3 out of 5]

El capítulo final del teatro del oprimido es muy interesante, el resto, no está mal.
Sinceramente los principios éticos y morales que difunde este libro junto con su trabajo de reformar y democratizar el teatro y el arte en general, son muy necesarios.

Apreciación personal. Cuando aborda el tema musical de forma subjetiva, sí es verdad que huele a cuñadismo rancio,, de esto que solo le gustan los primeros discos de todo el mundo porque son los más auténticos y pamplinas de ese tipo.

[MacK · Rating 3 out of 5]

The mastermind behind liberation theatre had a long and full career. His ground breaking early work, his master strokes of lessons and instructions to the leading theatre companies in the world, and his later years devoted to spreading the gospel of effective theatre education to the masses.

This book shares many of those experiences and later writings in the man's stellar career, and while his translator tries ably, it is clear that some of the language simply does not translate from Portuguese into English.

The work is best read by those who enjoy theoretical educational practices and philosophizing about them. But it's clear reading it, that Boal preferred to get his hands dirty rather than to sit back and critique. Which makes this interesting if not especially engaging.

[Morgan]

Augusto Boal's last book may be the best introduction to his work. In just 3 pages he breaks down the various branches if Theatre of the Oppressed (TO), and then goes on to tie other artforms—painting, poetry, music, dance, sculpture—into this theatrical aesthetic. Entire chapters dedicated to theatre work in prisons, and neuroscientific effects of TO games and techniques on the brain, make this an engaging read.

[galaxy · Rating 5 out of 5]

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