Those who support the ideals of Occupy Oakland are inspired by any new method that helps humans to improve the quality of their intercommunications.
Those of us in the theater community are thrilled to have the Interactive Theater for Racial Justice (ITRJ) in our midst. Its organizers claim that interactive theater is similar to drama therapy, as both are “powerful tools” to improve racial justice.
ITRG uses drama games and Theatre of the Oppressed to help activists not of color to practice “having the humility and compassion to continually challenge our assumptions, and distortions, and listen deeply to people of color.”
Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) originated in Brazil in the early 1970s to help citizens come to terms with local political turbulence. It has grown to the point where it is now performed in over 70 countries.
Brazilian TO evolved into a form called Legislative Theatre, which was intended to “help the desire of the population to become law.” Perhaps this is ITRJ’s hope for Oakland.
At its most effective, TO “embodies racial justice ideals in order to make the change we need.”
ITRG happens every Thursday evening at 6 p.m. at Oscar Grant Plaza. Come and check it out!
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