Staging Stories that Heal: Boal and Freire in Engaged Composition

This article discusses the successes and vulnerabilities associated with combining pedagogical methods of Theater, Composition, Community Literacy in Composition classroom. It examines how ideas Augusto Boal’s Theatre Oppressed Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy can be combined to support an innovative approach teaching, one that additionally employs engaged scholarship service learning. The essay describes cycles story gathering, playwriting, rhetorical analysis have been used various community partners, including adult day care for dementia patients, HIV/AIDs clinic, Public Health outreach programs address Disparities. explains ready audience community-written plays inherent characteristics theatrical production enable finite clearly definable communication moments products—especially autobiography-fantasy fused genre I termed magical memoir—while engaging empowering voices students, teachers, members alike. All human beings are actors (they act!) spectators observe!) They spect-actors. … is a form knowledge; it should also means transforming society. help us build our future, instead just waiting it. –Augusto Boal, Games Actors Non-Actors