Pre-Emptive Acts

Pre-Emptive Acts are training sessions in the techniques of "forum theater" developed by Augusto Boal. Rather than discuss a play after the fact, in a forum, this approach of Theater of the Oppressed gets members of the audience to step up to the stage, replace a character in crisis and improvise with a variation that can derail a tragedy. Participants learn to count on their creativity and to admire others' inspirations. Among our participants have been the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission, with Schools of Government, businesses and youth groups. Pre-Emptive Acts now forms part of diversity training at Harvard College.

Our Pre-emptive Acts Program is also making great strides as a coordinated component of our Paper Picker Press literacy project. As such, we've integrated Forum Theater's approach and capitalized on its ability to reach a wide variety of participants. On the heels of diverse successes at both Brazilian-American adult community centers and underperforming Boston elementary schools, we expect that our Pre-emptive Acts Program will continue to grow as part of our Paper Picker Press repertoire.

In addition, we've continued to implement Pre-emptive Acts Workshops in a number of new and surprising situations. On May 2, 2008, we hosted Alice Mello, who led a graduate student workshop on the merits of Forum Theater in the Virtual World (Online Forum Theater). Alice showed her audience how to create and share drama to resolve conflicts through a computer-based learning experience aimed at helping youth learn to cope with oppressive personal and social situations. Her process is the collaborative process of creating a digital play, and includes dramatic exercises involving group bonding, social awareness, and improvisational skills.

On April 17, 2008, as part of the ironic Caucasian Cautionary Month, Cultural Agents hosted a Forum Theater Dialogue at Wellesley College. While Wellesley women have long since possessed the strength to declare, "I'm offended", the meeting helped clarify one method for respectfully engaging in risky yet meaningful dialogue with each other.

Description of the Forum Theater Dialogue and Caucasian Cautionary Month at Wellesley College


Forum Theater Dialogue hosted by Cultural Agents


Related Models and Partners

Augusto Boal

Related Articles

"Theatre of the Oppressed: Hector Aristizabal Tells a Story of Torture and Transformation"

Related Projects

Felton Earls and Maya Carslon Tanzania Project
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