Legislative Theater

Although the language of this week's reading is easier to read, I still have difficulty retaining the information. I don't know what it is but I have difficulty reading Boal. There is something about his writing that turns me off and keeps me constantly wondering when I'll be done. I think it maybe the layout of the information within the chapters.

However, I do enjoy some of his strategies for theater; especially the games. They are really are the magic to his whole process of getting non-actors to perform and collaborate on the creation of a play. When working with people who have to use personal barriers to protect themselves from their hostile environment, it is vital to get everyone on the same level. I don't want to say you need to break them down but rather allow them to open themselves up to a protective space.

I appreciate Boal's drive to use theater as a means of communities discussing and presenting the issues they face to others within their neighborhoods.

-isabel