ARTISTS

Lesson Plan: Forum Theater (cont’d)
them from overcoming their oppression?
• What is the beginning, middle, and end of the scenario? Which
moments and events within the scenario are the most important?
• Two or three students in each group act out the scenario based on the
information they have gathered. The goal is not to be “good,” but instead
to experiment with ways of telling the story.
• The group will perform their scene many times, and it will continue to
change.
• During the next performance of the scene, any students watching may
shout “stop” and step in as any of the characters. This is when the students
watching become “spect-actors.” The spect-actors can also create new
characters who want to support the Protagonist and offer new solutions to
try and overcome their oppression.
• The goal is to “rehearse change.” Each time someone new enters or
takes over, they are enacting their own ideas about solutions to the
scenario. They are participating in and watching progress and change
happen before them.
• Each group should perform their scene at least five or six times in order to
assume sufficient participation.
• After each group finishes with the final rendition of their scene, the class
should comment on what they noticed: the power dynamics at play, the
goals of each character, the different things each character did to either
change or perpetuate the status quo, and whether or not the Protagonist
was able to make any change to the situation. Once this discussion is
concluded, the next group should present and continue the process until all
groups have finished.
Extension Option
• Groups of students can reenact a scene done by another group, adding
their own twist to the scene and repeating the process listed above.
Starting Points for Reflection
• Could Forum Theater or other modes of theatrical activism be effective
in addressing community and social issues? Can you think of any issues
in your communities (i.e. your school, your neighborhood, your group of
friends, the United States, the world) which could benefit from these forms
of activism?
• Are there other art forms outside of theater that can be used in activism?
Compare and contrast these other forms with theatrical activism.
ENGAGE
NOTES FROM THE FIELD EDUCATIONAL TOOLKIT 43