ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: FORUM THEATRE AS THEATRE FOR DEVELOPMENT IN EAST AFRICA Emily Jane Warheit, Doctor of Philosophy, 2017 Dissertation directed by: Associate Professor Laurie Frederik, Theatre and Performance Sturdies Theatre for development (TfD) includes a variety of performance practices that aim to communicate or foster dialogue in a development context. Forum Theatre, developed by Brazilian Director Augusto Boal as part of his Theatre of the Oppressed movement has become one of the most widely used forms in TfD. This dissertation looks at the use of Forum Theatre specifically in public health-focused programs funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Uganda and Kenya. The appeal of Forum Theatre for addressing development issues stems from its participatory nature, particularly as it aligns with current trends towards community involvement in development. However, power imbalances inherent in foreign-funded projects, public health communication theories modeled after advertising, and the realities of life- and livelihood-threatening conditions on the ground all work against the liberatory potential of the form. The focus of Forum Theatre is on identifying and combatting oppression; in developing communities, what oppressions can theatre projects initiated from the top down by USAID actually address in practice? This study is a multi-sited exploration of the organizations and individuals involved in the funding, planning, and executing of two forum theatre projects promoting global public health goals. Through interviews of stakeholders and organization publications including training manuals and project reports, I examine how the organizations involved implement, evaluate, and justify the effectiveness of the use of theatre in their work. Despite the popularity of theatre for development in Sub-Saharan Africa, many development professionals, particularly in the US, have limited knowledge of how to use theatre in their programs. This study has the potential to improve the understanding of the use of Forum Theatre for both development professionals and theatre artists, allowing for more effective application. It will also place theatre for development in its context in the complicated web of the development industry, illuminating how TfD projects are planned and funded for an audience of theatre scholars and practitioners. FORUM THEATRE AS THEATRE FOR DEVELOPMENT IN EAST AFRICA by Emily Jane Warheit Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2017 Advisory Committee: Professor Laurie Frederik, Chair Professor Faedra Chatard Carpenter Professor Jason Farman Professor James Harding Professor Esther Kim Lee © Copyright by Emily Jane Warheit 2017 Dedication To Cora and August: Thank you for always being cheerful, tenacious, and good sleepers. And to Lee, who champions my dreams as if they were his own. ii ii Acknowledgements I owe a debt of gratitude to my committee and especially my advisor, Professor Laurie Frederik, for their guidance, encouragement, and patience throughout this project. And, to the whole Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies faculty and support staff for nurturing and supporting my curiosity and creative efforts. Thanks also to my cohorts and writing buddies Jess Krenek and Alan Davis for the unconditional support and help keeping things in perspective. The University of Maryland Graduate Writing Center has been an invaluable resource to me in the completion of this dissertation and I would like to thank Dr. Linda Macri and the writing fellows for their efforts to help us all make it through. And finally, thanks to the development professionals, theatre artists, and community members involved in the projects discussed herein who took the time to share their experiences with me; I am inspired by your work and I hope to see you in the field again soon. iii Table of Contents Dedication ..................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ......................................................................................................... iv List of Figures .............................................................................................................. vi List of Abbreviations ................................................................................................. viii Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................. 1 Theatre and Development ......................................................................................... 1 Liberation and Material Needs.............................................................................. 3 Specific Focus and Boundaries ............................................................................. 8 Development in Uganda and Kenya ................................................................... 10 Thinking and Writing about Development and Theatre ..................................... 18 Literature and Concepts from the Field .................................................................. 25 Applied Theatre and Theatre for Development .................................................. 27 Post-Colonial Theatre Studies and African Theatre ........................................... 32 Discourses of Development and Post-Colonial Critique .................................... 37 Methodology ........................................................................................................... 40 Top Level: USAID .............................................................................................. 42 International Non-Governmental Organizations: PATH and Georgetown IRH . 43 Local: Rafiki and TEARS ................................................................................... 45 Chapter Breakdown ................................................................................................ 47 Chapter 2: Theatre of the Oppressed: From Brazil to Africa ...................................... 50 International Aid and the Emergence of Participatory Development ..................... 52 Economic Development and United States Interests .......................................... 52 The Participatory Development Movement ........................................................ 55 Theatre of the Oppressed: History and Ideology .................................................... 63 Boal’s Formative Experience .............................................................................. 63 Ideology and Personality..................................................................................... 70 Origins of Theatre for Development in Africa ....................................................... 76 Colonial Didactic Theatre ................................................................................... 76 Early Postcolonial Outreach Theatre .................................................................. 78 Theatre for Development .................................................................................... 80 Theatre of the Oppressed in Africa ..................................................................... 82 Adoption and Popularity of Theatre for Development and Forum Theatre............ 84 Chapter 3: International Exchanges and the Performance of Aid ............................... 89 How Money Performs: USAID Funding and Control ............................................ 92 The FACT Program and Transnational Project Planning ....................................... 97 USAID to IRH: Securing the Cooperative Agreement ....................................... 99 Field Research ................................................................................................... 100 Project Planning ................................................................................................ 102 Oversight, Deliverables, and M&E Feedback .................................................. 103 Performing Development: Images and Ideas ........................................................ 105 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 110 iv iv Chapter 4: Negotiating Critical Pedagogy Process and Public Health Outcomes through Forum Theatre ............................................................................................. 112 Magnet Theatre and the APHIA Plus Program ..................................................... 116 Global Public Health: Goals and Methods for Behavior Change ......................... 119 Behavior Change Interventions and BCC ......................................................... 120 Forum Theatre as Health Communication ........................................................ 123 Behavior Change Communication and Critical Pedagogy: Points of Contention 124 The Invention of Magnet Theatre ......................................................................... 128 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 135 Chapter 5: Casting for Development: Actors and Training Methods ...................... 137 Three Models 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