Theater as a Mirror of Social Change and Political Movements

Politics and theatre are two of my loves, but lately, there’s-less a distinction between the two. On the one hand, there is the spectacle of politics, with its inflated campaigns and attempts at persuasion, harsh words and promises plastered on the front pages of every newspaper; on the other hand, there is the influence of theatre, reflecting societal shifts through stage performance morality messages, and how to guides, showcasing new ideas and confronting societal norms.

Politics and theatre have a long history together. It all began with the “players” of ancient Greece, whose orators had to vie with one other to capture the public’s attention while the theatre was lavish for its day.

Forum Theatre

Forum Theatre is a cornerstone method of the Theatre of the Oppressed. In forum theatre, a brief play or scenario portrays an oppressive, discriminatory, or unfair circumstance. The scenario gets replayed after the initial performance, and this time, the audience gets urged to stop the action, switch performers, and come up with alternative solutions or courses of action. It facilitates group brainstorming and problem-solving by enabling participants to investigate several approaches to resolving the challenges raised.

It gets hoped that by enacting these situations in a controlled setting and observing how various decisions may lead to dramatic arts capture cultural transformations

better or worse results, participants can put-their newly acquired knowledge to improve society.

It can come in various ways, such as overtly political plays or neighbourhood-based theatrical initiatives that tackle current events. Some theatre groups have embraced participatory strategies to blur the lines between civic involvement and performance by immersing audiences in political themes.

Drama, politics, and social change have a history of changing relationships that have taken many different forms. Playwrights’ main goal when they began writing drama was to amuse their audiences. Playwrights started to utilize their works to address increasingly theater as a platform for social commentary and deep political and social concerns as civilizations grew more intelligent and politically connected.

The portrayal of the everyday lives and societal issues that ordinary people encountered piqued the interest of 19th-century realist and naturalist playwrights. Modernist playwrights of the 20th century questioned established theatrical norms and explored the absurdity and meaninglessness of human existence in their works.