Theatre Of Good Intentions

Theatre of Good Intentions examines limitations of theatre in the creation of social and political change. This book looks at some of the reasons why achieving such goals is hard; examining what theatre can and can't do. It examines a range of applied and political theatre case studies, focusing on theatre's impact on participants and spectators.

Theatre of Good Intentions examines limitations of theatre in the creation of social and political change. This book looks at some of the reasons why achieving such goals is hard; examining what theatre can and can't do. It examines a range of applied and political theatre case studies, focusing on theatre's impact on participants and spectators.

A play about the political transition in Catalonia. A play about memory. A play about our recent silenced stories and those unforgettable violent and difficult times. This play follows a group of friends who live in a small town, a place like any other. They observe and participate in historical changes while their own lives are disrupted. These friends secretly perform theater in a cold ramshackle garage, while the former regime change transforms the political, social and emotional realities of their lives. This play is based on the novel "Dies Meravellosos" by Jordi Coca.

Plays that move toward feeling by way of thought, and toward gratitude by way of loss.

Theatre in Crisis? Performance Manifestos for a New Century is a wide-ranging look at the state of contemporary theater practice, economics, and issues related to identity, politics, and technology. The volume offers a snapshot dissection of where theater is, where it has been and where it might be going through the voices of established and emerging theater artists and scholars from the UK, US, and elsewhere. Contributors: Maria M. Delgado & Caridad Svich • Oliver Mayer, Jorge Cortiñas, Neena Beber, & Craig Lucas • Jim Carmody • Roberta Levitow • Peter Lichtenfels & Lynette Hunter • Michael Billington • Claire H. Macdonald • Anna Furse • Phyllis Nagy • Max Stafford-Clark • Len Berkman • DD Kugler • Tori Haring-Smith • John London • Kia Corthron • Alice Tuan • Ricardo Szwarcer • Peter Sellars • Dragan Klaic • Lisa D’Amour • Paul Heritage • Matthew Causey • Andy Lavender • Jon Fosse • Erik Ehn • Matthew Maguire • Shelley Berc • Ruth Margraff • Martin Epstein • Mac Wellman • Goat Island

This book examines applied theatre projects that bring together diverse groups and foster intercultural dialogue. Based on five case studies and informed by play theory, it argues that the playful elements of theatre processes nurture a unique intimacy among diverse people. However, this playful quality can also dampen explicit conversations about participants’ cultural differences, and defer an interrogation of people’s own entrenchment in systemic power imbalances. As a result, addressing these differences and imbalances in applied theatre contexts may require particular strategies.

Seeking to transform community-based theatre-making, this book explores the transformative potential of abolitionist theatre, as theatre artists and teachers collaborate with marginalized communities to challenge systems of oppression and inspire profound societal change. Focusing on the idea of bringing people together to demand collective care and community-led practice, this collection works to define theatre’s role in the goals of abolition. Abolitionist theatre-making is a theatre that is connected to the practice of decolonization, intersectional feminism, climate justice, social justice, and liberation struggles. Exploring these ideas and offering a direct exploration of the questions that theatre artists and teachers should ask themselves when evaluating the abolitionist impact of their work, the volume provides accessible and practical tools for theatre-makers with perspectives from working practitioners throughout. Through real-life stories and experiences shared by theatre practitioners, the book provides a rich and diverse tapestry of examples that highlight the ways in which community-based theatre can contribute to transformational change. Readers will benefit from practical frameworks, thought-provoking perspectives, and thoughtfully crafted insights that inspire them to reimagine their own theatre practices and empower them to create theatre that challenges and dismantles oppressive systems while uplifting marginalized voices. Ideal for undergraduate and graduate students with an interest in utilizing theatre-making for social change, this book offers new and practical insights into how the path to abolition might be laid and theatre’s key role in it. This book will also be of great interest to theatre artists and activist practitioners who are involved in community-based theatre projects with marginalized populations.

This book presents a new argument that reimagines modern theater's critical power and places innovative writing at the heart of the experimental stage.