Augusto Boal

Augusto Boal is one of the active forces behind the Arena Theater in Brazil, and he is the creator of the Joker system, as well as one of the writers of "Arena tells about Zumbí", an early example of the Joker system at the Arena Theater. Boal analyzes theater from a Marxist perspective and believes that the function of theater should be to educate the masses in preparation for a revolution. Theater of the oppressed is theater opposed to oppression, Boal's counter to oppressive Aristotelian theater, which he believes encompasses all mainstream media.

Like the Marxist Brecht, Boal sees the need to remove hidden strings from theater, which use emotions to manipulate the audience. He believes that the audience should not be an idle spectator, who is dehumanized by giving up his own ability to think and act through empathy with the characters. For Boal, spectators are...