Building community across checkpoints: doing Theatre of the Oppressed in Palestine
Laura Fracalanza
In this paper I discuss two different works with the Theatre of the Oppressed in the West Bank: the one of «Ashtar Theatre» and the one of the «Polarized Model» by Chen Alon. In different ways and with different goals both use this methodology to create a space for dialogue within the colonized Palestinian context. After analyzing the concept of oppression that characterizes the political dimension of the method, I discuss the role that theatre can have in the colonial space. Then I present the work of the Palestinian acting company «Ashtar Theatre». I focus on how Theatre of the Oppressed is used to promote dialogue within the Palestinian community, which is divided by both Israeli occupation and other forms of sociocultural oppression. Finally I discuss some projects which used the «Polarized Model» of Theatre of the Oppressed co-codified by Israeli actor and activist Chen Alon. Here the method is used to create alliances between oppressors and oppressed, namely Israelis and Palestinians. These works offer two interesting examples of how theatre can allow a space where it is possible to create new forms of resistance based upon dialogue.
Keywords
Theatre of the Oppressed, Palestine, Colonization