Augusto Pinto Boal Research Paper

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Augusto Pinto Boal was one of the world leading theatre practitioners and inventor of a whole school of theatre called 'Theatre of the Oppressed'. He was born in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) on 17th of March 1931, when his country was ruled by a dictatorial military regime. Since his youth, Boal felt a great passion for theatre, and despite his degree in engineering, in 1952 he enroled himself in a drama school in New York (from '50s and the early '60s of the last century), where he met Constantin Stanislavski and had the opportunity to know new theatrical methods. In the while, in São Paulo (Brazil) was founded the ' Arena Theatre', with the purpose to become a strong symbol of nationalism and conservatism of the Brazilian theatrical tradition. In 1956, Boal returned in his native country and became the director of the 'Arena Theatre' which, under Boal's leadership, experienced a new theatrical journey, and saw a radical evolution of its own values, conceiving the theatre as a tool for social transformation, allowing also its collaboration with the National Union of Popular Culture Centre Students (CPC di UNE). …show more content…

Since that moment, all dramas presented at the Arena Theatre were highlighted for the relational dynamics and the power achievable on the scene. It that context Boal's claimed the idea that the classics were able to communicate only if they were revisited and contextualized into present. Boal devoted also a special attention to actors' training and created new drama courses, with the aim to redefine the social role of both, theatre and

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