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What do you get when you fill a room with perfect strangers of myriad backgrounds, ethnicities, and experiences, and ask everyone to delve into an issue as poignant as immigration?
A brawl?
No, a play. And possibly a transformative experience that touches and changes everyone involved.
It may be a tall order to follow, but this is the ultimate goal that lead-facilitator of the Action Theatre program, Katy Rubin, and co-facilitator, Mino Lora, are working towards.
The Action Theatre program is part of the People’s Theatre Project, an organization two years in existence and headed by Lora.
The program bases its methodology on the work of Augusto Boal, who developed “Theater of the Oppressed” in the 1960s and 70s. Boal’s work was heavily influence by Brazilian educator Paulo Freire. Rubin studied Theatre of the Oppressed methodology in Brazil, where it continues to be taught.
In a Theatre of the Oppressed, the play needs to pose a question and address a problem within a particular community. Instead of being passive spectators, the audience becomes active “spect-actors,” empathizing with the problem instead of sympathizing.
Rubin, Lora, and their colleagues came to immigration as an issue that is important both within Washington Heights and Inwood, and an issue that has reached something of a fever pitch at the national level.
While the play will focus on immigration, Rubin said it should speak to anyone who has ever had the feeling of being an outsider, in any capacity. In addition, Rubin and Lora said that many other issues come up during the sessions, not strictly immigration but related in some way to immigration.
Lora said that acting is a way to be empowered. People can brainstorm ideas and solutions to the problems they are stuck in, but they don’t know how things will play out in real time. Acting allows people to try something new.
The end objective of the program may be a play, however, Rubin and Lora said they see the potential for change as well. Theatre of the Oppressed was able to change legislation in Brazil. Rubin said she thinks Action Theatre could lead to local changes.
More than just serious topics and creating change, Lora said that the program is fun.
“People go in saying ‘this is scary,’” said Lora. “They come out saying it’s fun.”
Action Theatre will be rehearsing ten Wednesdays during the fall and winter, from 7-8:30pm at the YM & YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood. Participants must be 16 and up. Program is bilingual in Spanish and English. No theatre experience is needed. Registration is pay-what-you-can. The last day to register is Friday, Sept. 10. visit www.peoplestheatreproject.org for more information.
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