Editing Augusto Boal (section)

==Published works==

===''Theatre of the Oppressed'' (London: Pluto Press, 1979)===
Arguably Augusto Boal's most academically influential work<ref>[http://kaharris.iweb.bsu.edu/BoalEssay.htm The Theatre of the Oppressed: The Philosophy of Augusto Boal, by Kevin A. Harris] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326020058/http://kaharris.iweb.bsu.edu/BoalEssay.htm |date=March 26, 2009 }}</ref><ref>[https://archive.today/20120709193214/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1310/is_1997_Nov/ai_20099663/ The theatre of the oppressed, by Augusto Boal. UNESCO Courier, Nov, 1997.]. Archive.today (2012-07-09). Retrieved on 2019-09-06.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://ciruelo.uninorte.edu.co/pdf/invest_desarrollo/12-1/empowering_the_opressed.pdf |title=Empowering the oppressed through participatory theatre, by Arvind Singhal |access-date=2009-05-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707052756/http://ciruelo.uninorte.edu.co/pdf/invest_desarrollo/12-1/empowering_the_opressed.pdf |archive-date=2011-07-07 |url-status=dead }}</ref> is the ''Theatre of the Oppressed,'' in which the reader follows Boal's detailed analysis of the [[Poetics (Aristotle)|''Poetics'' of Aristotle]] and the early history of Western theatre. Boal contends that the [[Aristotelian ethics|Aristotelian ethic]] means oppressing the masses, the people, the workers and the spectators in favour of stability and the continued dominance of a privileged few. He argues that the ''[[Tragedy#Greek tragedy|Tragi-drama]]'', a formulaic drama style that today could be considered similar to that of [[soap opera]]s, helps the State promote its continued existence. He sees the Brazilian government as an example of an oppressive state using theatre to propagate its oppressive system. He then outlines his early theories and practices for attempting to reverse the paradigm. It also talks about Newspaper Theatre, attempting to talk about local problems and present it to the audiences, Forum Theatre, currently used in over 70 countries, Invisible Theatre, used to discuss political activity and Image Theatre. Theatre of the Oppressed has been translated to more than 25 languages over the years. 
Boal also talks about Invisible theatre in which an event is planned and scripted but does not allow the spectators to know that the event is happening. Actors perform out of the ordinary roles which invite spectators to join in or sit back and watch. One example was in a restaurant at the Chiclayo hotel, actors sat at separate tables and informed the waiters in loud voices that they could not eat the food. The actor stated that the food was not good. The waiter says the diner could pick something else to eat. So the actor chose a rather expensive item off the menu and says he will be able to pay for it. The actor mentions he has no money and he would be willing to work for it. This display made other diners start discussing the price and treatment of workers at this hotel. This act allowed spectators to think about issues that were going on but was brushed over because the issue did not directly involve them.<ref name="Wardrip-Fruin, Noah 2003">Wardrip-Fruin, Noah, and Nick Montfort (2003). "From Theatre of the Oppressed." ''[[The New Media Reader]]''. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT, 2003. pp. 339–52.</ref>
Analytical theatre is when a participant tells a story and the actors improvise it. Each character is broken down into all the social roles they could follow and the participants choose an object to symbolize the role. This aspect of theatre allows the participants to see how there are multiple roles a person could follow.<ref name="Wardrip-Fruin, Noah 2003"/>

===''Games For Actors and Non-Actors'' (London: Routledge, 1992; Second Edition 2002)===
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This is probably Augusto Boal's most practically influential book, in which he sets down a brief explanation of his theories, mostly through stories and examples of his work in Europe, and then explains every drama exercise that he has found useful in his practice. In contrast to ''Theatre of the Oppressed'', it contains little academic theory and many practical examples for drama practitioners to use even if not practising theatre that is related to Boal's academic or political ideas. Boal refers to many of these as "gamesercises", as they combine the training and "introversion" of exercises with the fun and "extroversion" of games. It has been influential in the development of Community Theatre and Theatre in Education (T.I.E.) practices worldwide, especially in Europe and South America. These games include ''Carnival in Rio'' and ''Your Friend is Dead''.

===''The Rainbow of Desire: The Boal Method of Theatre and Therapy''. (London: Routledge, 1995)===
This book re-evaluates the practices commonly associated with the Theatre of the Oppressed for a new purpose. It has been argued that Boal contradicts himself with this take on his work,<ref name="Boal, Augusto 1995">Boal, Augusto (1995). ''The Rainbow of Desire: the Boal Method of Theatre and Therapy''. London: Routledge.</ref> as it mostly concerns itself with creating harmony within society, whereas his early work was concerned with rebellion and upheaval. Boal states that, "Theatre is the passionate combat of two human beings on a platform."<ref name="Boal, Augusto 1995"/> However, Boal's works can be seen as a progression and exploration of a [[Left Wing]] world view rather than a unified theory. In the context of those under-represented in a society, his methodology can be used as a weapon against oppressors. In the context of those in a society who are in need of [[catharsis]] for the sake of their own integration into it, it can be switched round to empower that individual to break down internal oppressions that separate that individual from society.
Through his work at French institutions for the mentally ill and elsewhere in Europe, where he discovered concepts such as the "Cop in the Head", the theories presented in this book have been useful in the pioneering field of drama therapy and have been applied by drama practitioners.
Boal states in his work that there are three properties of the aesthetic space. First, is plasticity. He says that one can be without being. Objects can acquire different meaning such as an old chair representing a king's throne. He states that only duration counts and location can be changed. Second, is that the aesthetic space is dichotomic and it creates dichotomy. This idea suggests that there is a space within a space. The stage is in front of the audience and the actor is creating his own space. Third, is telemicroscopic. This idea creates the idea that it is impossible to hide on stage. Every aspect of the space is seen and it makes the far away close-up.<ref name="Boal, Augusto 1995"/>

===Other books===
* ''Legislative Theatre: Using Performance to Make Politics''. London: Routledge, 1998.
* ''Hamlet and the Baker's Son: My Life in Theatre and Politics''. London: Routledge, 2001.
* ''The Aesthetics of the Oppressed''. London: Routledge, 2006.