Theatre of the Oppressed
What are the motifs in Theatre of the Oppressed by Augusto Boal?
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In Boal's view, the difference between the spectator and the actor is artificial. Every person has the capacity for art, as a human being, and by taking the active role away from the spectator, the theater is dehumanizing and oppressing the spectator. The spectator's identity, thoughts, and feelings are co-opted by the theater. The spectator-actor relationship is a dichotomy. They are opposites, and in traditional theater, they are forces that are actively antagonistic. The actor usurps the spectator's identity and humanity.