Theatre of the oppressed

What if an entirely new theatre steps in to fight justice for Mukhtaran Mai, having lost it at the Supreme Court or suppose the case of Asya Noreen is presented at stage? What if the assassination of Saba Dashtiari, Saleem Shehzad, or Shahbaz Bhatti is played out in the public? What if the massacre of Gojra and Aziz-a-bad’s injustice is acted out and interacted with people in a theatrical form?

As is the tradition amongst ulema, who believe themselves no less than all-authentic, all-knowing and divinely-truthful scholars, to deliver loftier sermons while sitting on a majestic masnad to the self-assumed all-ignorant, ill-informed and absolutely unquestioning audience, or goes on the convention of listening mum-dumb, silent and silent to an omniscient ustaad in school or madarsa, so is the tradition of theatre in our society. Empty heads and empty souls like empty pots and plates or a descent set of furniture, audience are supposed to sit there and watch. Stay passive and receive, be obedient and obtain for you are either unaware or only a tamashai or a sinful and misled creature - the assumptions look alike in all the three strands.

Almost ancient in ‘form’ and ‘subject’, natak, rahs, lok tamasha and ram lila have been popular in the subcontinent for centuries but pose not too different in religious, social or comic ‘meaning’ and ‘messages’, already prevalent in society. While in the splendidly grand theatres as well, things are pre-decided; rules and morals are set in stone. Kings, lords, viziers and warriors, acting as dramatic supermen, all have their own ranks and positions and commoners their own, bound in eternally defined relations of high and low, superior and secondary, never to change. Villains constitute a context warning the folks to not to slip off from religiously defined morals and principles lest you face the consequences.

Be it Rustom-o-Suhrabs and Anarkalis in Persia and Pakistan, Indian Ram-Lilas or English Makbeths and King Lears, theatrical ‘form’ and ‘content’ is much the same. Protagonists and antagonists force conventional moralities and principles to be internalized and acted-upon in ordinary social life. Aberration is doomed to individual or collective disaster. No questions, no disagreements or no new patterns of dealing with issues of life or change in structures and shifts in powers are suggested. But the truth is, every relation that lacks argument and dialogue is the relation of oppression, of ulema with his followers, of ustaad with his taalibs and of actors with his audience.

A wide chasm between actors or performers and the audience or spectators governs all through the course of a conventional theatrical. In equilibrium with the comic or tragic scene you are there to roll down tears or gush out laughter and essentially applaud at the end to the levels of your liking. That is it. Your role, as disciplined and civilized spectators, is over. Ill-bred if you are and fuss around too much, you can be even thrown out of the theatrical square for it disturbs the decorum of play or falls unkind on the nobility’s senses keenly watching over. Only the elites would discuss its theme, quality of performance and emotional appeal over the cup of a tea, after. Not to miss, in excessively commercial debauchery presented in the name of entertainment at makeshift and formal theatres, audiences are just a laughing and lusting pawns doling out money or spoiling the spoiled as much as both can.

On contrary, the highly influential and respectable variety of Ajoka Theatre and Lok Rahs does deal with utterly serious societal concerns through innovations and adaptations, Lok Rahs particularly in taking it to the village and town communities and performing theatres in streets. The former through its creative and literary adaptations and the latter by following the legendary Badal Sarkar might have increased its impact but the role of audience still remains limited or the dramatic form they practice does not allow it perhaps. Although theatres like Ajoka and Lok Rahas largely stand apart from royalist dramatic tradition by presenting issues of the ordinary citizens but they still operate as dramatic monologue, though undoubtedly shaking the minds and conscience of the audiences and authorities.

Now, what if an entirely new theatre steps in to fight justice for Mukhtaran Mai, having lost it at the Supreme Court or suppose the case of Asya Noreen is presented at stage? What if the assassination of Saba Dashtiari, Saleem Shehzad, or Shahbaz Bhatti is played out in the public? What if the massacre of Gojra and Aziz-a-bad’s injustice is acted out and interacted with people in a theatrical form? What if acid burning, honour killing, sexual harassment, child marriage, bonded labour, growing poverty, vulnerability, discrimination, terrorism and even the democratic, economic and governance crises are played out at theatre for a revolutionary change desired by the people for long?

No madness, it is very much possible through ‘Interactive Theatre’ or formally known as ‘Theatre of the Oppressed’. It has proven to be the most effective medium of social, cultural and political discourse and transformation. This is where theatre joins hands with political activism and drama turns into a discussion forum. In here, every act is political, every gesture meaningful especially the collectivised images it ends with. Theatre of the oppressed is a blend of theatre and real life. It is art in real life or real life in the shape of art. Played out interactively, it opens up avenues of possibilities. This is where a theatre, traditionally meant to amuse or instil elitist morals turns ‘dangerous’ for it empowers people and initiates a change, something that ‘establishment’ and the ‘ruling elites’ always dread from.

Finding his political activism too risky the dictatorial regime of Brazil arrested, tortured and finally exiled Augusto Boal into Argentina where he came up with his groundbreaking work, ‘Theatre of the Oppressed’. Inspired from Paulo Freire’s ‘Pedagogy of the Oppressed,’ Augusto Boal pioneered the practice of ‘Theatre of the Oppressed’ in early 1970s in his country, now a technique popular and played out in several underdeveloped countries of the world including Pakistan. Interacting with the rural and urban poor through a theatrical dialogue in-between or at the end of an incomplete performance by creating a sense of uneasiness, it heartens and motivates audience to rise against the structural and institutionalized oppression and exploitation. Fixing responsibility and spotting the tyrant dramatic tragedy in it sometimes hints certain directions too. It is a play with a fluid script, theatre with flexible stage and drama without real life characters-actors. Boal terms it, “a rehearsal of the revolution - if not revolution itself”. “By changing the status of ‘spectators’ from less than human objects to the introspective and conversationalist beings it liberates people from internalized oppression and subjugation”.

Using theatre as a means Boal advocates Freire’s thinking that “Freedom comes by conquest, not by gift. It must be pursued constantly and responsibly. It is not an ideal located outside of man nor is it an idea that becomes a myth. It is rather the indispensable condition for the quest of human completion.” ‘Theatre of the oppressed’ uncovers individual characteristics as well as ideological superstructures and class differences too. From passive audiences, role of the ‘spectators’, therefore turns into “spect-actors”. Besides being a psycho-social therapy and catharsis for the oppressed people, it encourages them for dramatic shifts too.

It is not only different in ‘form’ and ‘content’ but different in experience, thought, introspection and perspective too, serving both as ‘revelation’ and ‘revolution’. In the words of Sanjoy Ganguly, the founder of Jana Sanskriti in India, “We do not play the script, we script the play for we all are theatrical creatures”. Without limitations of elaborate set-design, it is played out in rural and urban social settings where a ‘facilitator or joker’ invites the audience to think over the dramatized tragedies picked up from people’s own life.

As the poor are usually preoccupied into their day to day drudgery, this theatre provides them with time and opportunity to reflect over their own conditions of life and the causes lying behind. Dissolving the divide between audience and the play, ‘spect-actors’ are free to cry out “stop!” just in the middle of the play to act, react, comment, emotionally respond and even shape the course of dramatic events or wait for the end to reflect upon. Challenging conventional morals and socially approved ideals ‘theatre of the oppressed’ might appear ‘immoral’ but it is absolutely ‘ethical’ in humanitarian terms.

To Boal, “theatre, in its most archaic sense, is an activity that is possessed exclusively by humans and not by animals. Seeing themselves in the act of seeing, of thinking, of bursting out into emotions is specifically human. We are animals with a privilege of being actors too. Moved by our own thoughts, we can see ourselves ‘here’ and imagine ourselves ‘there’. We can see us ‘today’ and imagine our ‘tomorrow’. Theatre is a form of knowledge that should and can be a means of transforming society. It can help us build our future, rather than just waiting for it”.

It comprises on wide range of techniques but ‘Invisible Theatre,’ ‘Legislative Theatre’ and ‘Newspaper Theatre’ uniquely deserve to mention. The ‘invisible variety’ is played out at a public place i.e. roadside, a railway junction, the market or restaurant without a prior knowledge of the crowd or the passersby. Say, a couple of actors break into arguments over the possession of land, honour killing, sectarian affiliation, religious oppression or hefty budget of army in the context of Pakistan. Other actors join later with different arguments and create a complicated situation. People around engage into dialogue leading to a deep controversy and provoking natural, honest and emotive reactions. Chances of descending into chaos even violence are equally there but the dramatic form is worth playing out to expose the causes and consequences of key issues in society. Purposeful change always desires inner dialogue invoking creative and problem-solving spirits of the people.

Legislative form locks people in dialogue with governmental institutes over the enactment of controversial laws or new laws required on emerging issues. It assists people formulating, amending or resisting certain laws. For instance, blasphemy laws or hudood ordinances could be discussed at a theatrical forum particularly how they victimize innocent people and what needs to change. The activity generates a flow of power from public representatives to people and genuinely allows them to brainstorm on legal landscape of the country. Serving as Councillor in 1990s, Boal legislated 13 laws through interactive theatre in Brazil. At times people may not find a solution, but they do reach out to a suitable course of action. Invisible and Legislative forms are potential tools to resist oppressive laws, customs and traditions, plenty in Pakistan.

The ‘Newspaper Theatre’ recreates a story or the actions are mimicked by actors as the news is read out plainly or at a musical rhythm seeking people’s reaction to find a solution of similar issues. For instance committing suicide out of hunger or escaping a rape, selling one’s organs or body to survive, choolha blasts or setting oneself ablaze in protest for unemployment or insufficient salary provoke meaningful reactions of a group of audience and possibly a whole nation latter. Beyond overly romanticised dramas or teleplays removed in time and space, newspaper theatre, deals with shocking realities of life and struggles to find a way out.

Pioneered by Interactive Resource Centre (IRC) in 2000, now several groups like Chanan, Multan Theatrical Group, Parbat, Sojhla, Balochistan Theatrical Group, and several others, practice ‘theatre of the oppressed’ across Pakistan. Addressing issues like karo kari, exchange marriage, tribal justice, wadera shahi, poverty, peace and conflict transformation they are attempting a social, political, economic and spiritual transformation. In a culturally diverse context most of the groups deal with fundamental and institutionalized problems of oppression, inequality and injustices in the country. However, much of the effort is being undermined by the overwhelming effects and onslaught of war on terror and terrorism in the country.