CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE CTO/ATA/LA: THE CURTAIN IS DRAWN ON A “REHEARSAL FOR REVOLUTION” A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Master of Arts in Theatre By Jennifer Lang Dithridge AUGUST 2012 The Thesis of Jennifer Lang Dithridge is approved: Douglas Kaback, MFA Date Heinrich Falk, Ph.D. Date Ah-Jeong Kim, Ph.D., Chair Date California State University, Northridge ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thank you to all my friends and family who have listened endlessly to my struggle with the completion of this thesis. “Someday” has arrived! iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Flyer for Annual Pedagogy & Theatre of the Oppressed Conference in 2005 .............54 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Signature Page .................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................. iii List of Figures.................................................................................................................... iv Abstract................................................................................................................................v 1. Introduction .....................................................................................................................1 Background..............................................................................................................1 A Brief Exploration of the Anatomy of Oppression................................................3 Freire Foreshadows Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) ...............................................4 The Evolution of TO and Eventual CTOs ...............................................................6 Definition of Terms .................................................................................................9 Justification............................................................................................................11 Summary................................................................................................................11 2. The City of Los Angeles Applies the Art......................................................................13 The Conception and Birth of CTO/ATA/LA.........................................................13 One Summer Workshop and One Synergistic Idea!..............................................15 Communication......................................................................................................16 Co-Productions ......................................................................................................17 Challenges..............................................................................................................18 3. Findings.........................................................................................................................33 v Summary................................................................................................................51 4. Discussion and Conclusions..........................................................................................57 Works Cited .......................................................................................................................60 Appendix A: CTO/ATA/LA FOUNDERS (also called Core Council).............................66 Appendix B: Proposed Structure of CTO/ATA/LA, 2002 ................................................67 Appendix C: CTO Conference 2002 Group Photograph..................................................69 Appendix D: 2003 Schedule of Performances...................................................................70 Appendix E: Collaborative Playmaking Through Movement and Writing.......................71 Appendix F: Theatre as Mirror: Approaches to the Creation of Documentary Theatre.........................................................................................................73 Appendix G: Performance Poetry: Making Poetry Move .................................................75 Appendix H: Commedia dell'arte & Political Theatre.......................................................77 Appendix I: Political Vaudeville: Theater for Voters in 2004...........................................79 Appendix J: The Media: BRING IT ON!!! .......................................................................82 Appendix K: Taking it to the Street! .................................................................................84 Appendix L: Creative Tools for Critical Times.................................................................87 Appendix M: Blasting Holes in the Night .........................................................................97 Appendix N: An Image Theatre Workshop.......................................................................99 Appendix O: Common Ground........................................................................................102 Appendix P: Liberation Movement Workshop................................................................105 Appendix Q: Examples of Events and Workshops..........................................................107 vi ABSTRACT CTO/ATA/LA: THE CURTAIN IS DRAWN ON A “REHEARSAL FOR REVOLUTION” By Jennifer Lang Dithridge Master of Arts in Theatre The thesis is a culminating experience for a Master of Arts in Theatre Arts. It archives the work of the Center for the Theatre of the Oppressed/Applied Theatre Arts/Los Angeles, in existence from 2001-2005. The author records the aspirations, challenges, and ultimate outcome of a group of Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) practitioners in the Los Angeles area who worked to offer theatre techniques, as created by world-renowned theatre practitioner Augusto Boal, aimed to combat social injustices. The thesis briefly explores the influence Boal’s cadre of techniques had on CTO/ATA/LA. Boal originally created TO to help oppressed citizens in Brazil demand a better quality of life than their circumstances and class allowed. CTO/ATA/LA strove to apply the same concepts to populations in Los Angeles with varied successes and failures. This study illuminates the journey of this organization. vii viii Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION Background This thesis explores and illuminates the origins and effects of the Center of the Theatre of the Oppressed/Applied Theatre Arts/Los Angeles (CTO/ATA/LA), as influenced by the work of Augusto Boal and his techniques in Theatre of the Oppressed. The purpose of this study is to archive the evolution of the organization and the consequent challenges preventing it from coming to full fruition during its existence form 2001-2005. This Los Angeles theatre organization congealed around the techniques of Augusto Boal, known for a body of theatre applications created to be used by any population to explore and possibly solve social challenges. CTO/ATA/LA offers an intriguing study of the outcomes of this work in such a diverse and far-reaching Southern California city. It is important to examine the goals of CTO/ATA/LA both to understand the aspirations of its founders in applying Boal’s techniques for communication and dialogue and to analyze the results of this effort to avoid similar obstacles for future visionary practitioners. The effects of the organization are both brilliant and disappointing. In spite of the high ideals of its founders, CTO/ATA/LA’s lack of rigid structure, absence of funding, and the varying familiarity and experience of the practitioners applying Boal’s work led to the organization’s demise. When looking at the workshops and events produced by CTO/ATA/LA, it is important to look through several lenses to understand its goals, complexities, and eventual downfall. The efforts of many practitioners were initially combined to create a 1 solid base from which to launch the group’s ambitious project. The combined energy of CTO/ATA/LA’s members, however, was not enough to sustain the organization. This thesis focuses on three primary areas of research: underdeveloped infrastructure, the lack of financial resources needed to grow the organization’s base and reach, and the disparate gamut of experience and knowledge of the organization’s members, ranging from novice to expert, as determined by research through written documentation and personal interviews with two of its founders and discussed in detail in Chapter 2. To date, this collection of research about the Center for the Theatre of the Oppressed/Applied Theatre Arts/ Los Angeles does not exist in published form. In an effort to provide readers a deeper understanding of the collaborative inner workings of CTO/ATA/LA, this thesis focuses on archiving flyers and communication produced by the collective in addition to interviews with two of its founders. The group struggled to transform from ad hoc to organized company and as such, few hard copy documents were kept. Meeting minutes and financial reports remained undeveloped; however, flyers were created regularly. Lacking additional formal documents, augmenting this research through two personal interviews with founders Brent Blair and Norma Bowles added breadth and depth during research collection and to the final understanding of this group’s mission and vision. In researching why this organization could not sustain itself, even though it modeled itself after formidable CTOs in other countries, the richest explanation for this is found through these personal interviews in Chapter 4.