As a freshman theatre major, theatre lover, and aspiring professional actor I myself was cynical to the idea of agenda driven political theatre. Then the election of 2016 ran its course and I found myself not only seeing the necessity of politically driven theatre but seeing and experiencing its power and desiring to find my place within it. To begin this journey, I seek to answer how can creating politically driven theatre help or hurt the future of America’s government and theatre? Whether it is helping rid South America of illiteracy in 1970 and using those same techniques for years, or making civil rights protest successful in America and continuing to be an essential part of every protest (Boal, Bogad). Theatre has changed the course of the past centuries, and refused to stop in the twentieth century. It has retained its value in the twenty-first century by touching the lives of the oppressed in Palestine. Through improvisational theatre and the “Freedom Bus”, Palestinian actors take stories of adversity and show them back to survivors to begin healing (Rivers). It has reminded the United States of America of the importance and mistakes of its roots in 2016 (Brantley). Today it causes us to still question those in power over us as well as those in power over others and how we all are the oppressed and the oppressors (Isherwood). It marches on sometimes, literally, to keep us righteously thinking in 2017. Although many may argue that political theatre is overdone, out of date, and ineffective, political theatre has been, and always will be important to sustaining a successful and ever progressing government for any group of people on earth because all theatre is political, it has helped many in the past, and continues to help better not only America but the world. 

In 1970, Augusto Boal gave the world the first recorded scientific evidence of political theatre’s power in his book, The Theatre of the Oppressed. Boal clearly states his argument in the first line of his intro, “This book attempts to show that all theater is necessarily political, because all the activities of man are political and theater is one of them” (Boal ix). His argument is well backed, not only by a deep understanding of theatre history, but also first-hand experience in experimentation of using theatre for a specific political purpose in Peru. He with the aid of many other researchers conducted experiments using arts education to combat illiteracy in Peru (Boal 120). These efforts were sanctioned by the revolutionary government of Peru at the time (Boal 120). This research is now being used to redefine the qualifications for citizenship in America as well as how we educate. (Silva, Menezes 43) While addressing how theatre was taken away from the common population in early civilizations he writes, “First, they divided the people, separating actors from spectators: people who act and people who watch — the party is over!” (Boal 119). He then goes on to explain what that means, the purpose and weaponry of theatre is the opportunity for every soul to be considered an actor or character. That privilege is taken by the human higher powers and, subsequently the rest become spectators. In his last chapter Boal shows the pathway and benefit of returning that power to everyone and for those unfamiliar with the theatre he simplifies the moral by saying, “Art is a form of knowledge” (Boal 171). Therefore, every human deserves to understand that all theatre is political and the right to be political in and through theatre. By giving this power back to the people in America the interest of true democracy is being pursued. By giving this power back to people all over the world the future of theatre is secure if not more promising than its past. But this power is not always given so freely. Often times this power must be forcefully taken back by those who feel unable to be performers. You must find the boldness and courage to have an opinion. Then you must realize you are not only a spectator but also an actor. You then have to share that opinion or in other words perform it.

On February 1st, 1960 one of the most successful shows opened in Greensboro North Carolina. The Greensboro sit-in was a nonviolent protest against the segregation of a lunch counter that completely shifted the momentum of the civil rights movement (Ray). Larry Bogad is a performance activist, author, and professor of political performance he states that he has led tactical performance workshops all over the world even in the middle a uprisings (Bogad). He explains in his TED Talk at University of California Davis, how all protest is theatre and their effectiveness is purely based on quality. The participants rehearsed in secret playing both the protesters and the racists (Bogad). Bogad uses the Greensboro sit-in as his main example due to the tangibility of its effect on history. He points out how clearly theatrically minded the protestors were in the ways they prepared. They rehearsed in secret playing both the protestors and the racists (Bogad). “They thought in terms of costume wearing only their Sunday best. They thought in terms of costume and script, in fact people were only allowed to participate in these actions if the signed a pledge to stick to the dramatic discipline of the script” (Bogad). This protest was able to overcome years of normalized racism because of the power of the performance and theatre. They used the idea of protagonist and antagonist that is engrained in everyone to make their opponents clearly the bad guys (Bogad). At a time where the United States of America were trying to promote freedom nothing could have been more effective (Bogad). This has always been and continues to be the case, the better the performance the better the reaction. This is why all protest must be theatrical as well as all theatre must be protest. Luckily we still see these prime examples of political theatre without even realizing it. The Women’s March was a perfect example within the past two months.  Protest as a word however, possesses such a negative connotation one might ask, what are the benefits of protest? The answer is to ask for a “redress of grievances” of the government (US Const. amend. I). We are given the constitutional right to political theatre because the first amendment states, “the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances” (US Const. amend. I). It might as well say the freedom of scripts, or of the publicity; or the right of people peaceably to rehearse, and to perform for the government for a redress of grievances. By producing political theatre in America we are practicing our constitutional rights as well as allowing the government a second look at the people’s view of their decisions.

It would be impossible to make this argument without discussing the impact that Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical Hamilton has made in the past two years and how it continues to shape the way America views its past, present, and future. Hamilton has won 11 Tony awards which is one shy of the record. In his review of the show award-winning chief theatre critic for The New York Times Ben Brantley writes, “Yes, it really is that good” and that the show is, “proof that the American musical is not only surviving but also evolving in ways that should allow it to thrive and transmogrify in years to come” (Brantley). The musical’s overarching themes that have made it such a revolution are the power of self-will, hard work, mortality, forgiveness, and equality. At a time in America’s Government where it seems no one can agree this musical reminds the population that they possess the power to control their own fate just as Alexander Hamilton did. One might say that to see Hamilton you have to be rich and that in most cases is true, but that means those who need to see and hear the importance of the voice of the people most are the affluent ones in the audience. In truth all you need to access the power of Hamilton is a cd player and a trip to a library or record store. All can access the information and power in Hamilton but, the only way it can better America’s government and theatre is if those who access it use it for good. The actors and creators have already done their part however, as stated by Hamilton’s Chicago Cast member Brandon Victor Dixon, “We truly hope that this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and to work on behalf of all of us” (Mele, Healy). This statement is not only for Vice President elect Mike Pence, who was being addressed but, for all who see, hear, read, and understand the musical. This musical as well as all theatre calls its audience to action. It is not enough to see or hear that call but it must be analyzed and acted upon in a way that benefits humanity.

Some have made the claim that political theatre has lost its power due to overabundance and lack of quality. I myself at one point felt the same way. For example, Tiffany Jenkins was the director of the arts at the Institute of Ideas in London. She published an article in 2011 arguing that political theatre was dead. In her article she writes, “There is too much of it, and too much that is just no good…this is therapy for the middle classes who stopped protesting on the streets long ago”. (Jenkins) She is right if people stop acting on the challenges set before them by political theatre it has lost its power.  However, that is not what is happening when the streets all over America filled with people marching on January 21st, 2017. It is also true that if political theatre isn’t taken to those who need it, it is not affective. Jenkins however, greatly overgeneralizes audiences by narrowing them to only the middle class. In Palestine the Freedom Bus troupe is using a type of improvisational theatre known as “Playback Theatre” (Rivers). Rivers explains playback theatre in his journal as, “audience members volunteer stories from their own lives, then a team of performers subsequently turns each account into a piece of improvised theatre” (157). Jenkins makes another good point that if not done well political theatre loses its potency. Nevertheless, if future artists keep creating masterpieces, such as Hamilton and, that artists continue to be activist and philosophers that potency will never be lost but continually be renewed. The only way political theatre can ever die is if every human being simultaneously became completely apathetic and lost all care or concern for themselves and those around them. As long as one living soul cares about something and turns to another living person and says so political theatre is alive and well. 

All art has its own tactics to educate and advocate however, theatre continues to move on and against injustice in a way that only it can. The fact that the creative artists can transport their audience into any fantastical world they choose gives them the power to show the audience an outside view of the real world and consequently call them to action. “I’ll bet you’ve never seen one representing a talking, singing toilet plunger, have you?” (Isherwood) Charles Isherwood former chief theatre critic for the Variety asks this in his introduction to his New York Times review of Made in China. Made in China is a puppet based adventure playing off-Broadway right now. This show pokes fun at and, drives home a serious point about American consumerism and Chinese labor abuse. It is shows like these that are directed towards the middle class demanding that they keep in mind the decisions they make often oppress others. It is not enough to solely petition to the upper class and aid the lower class. For political theatre to be helpful for the future of America it must be for all to see and participate in. It may take attracting audiences with the promise of dancing and singing plungers and bamboo but this is the benefit of theatres nearly unlimited creative boundaries. (Isherwood) One might argue that a book or movie can transport its audience all the same but this is not fully accurate. There is a vast difference between reading or watching a film, for example about dystopian genocide, and being in the same room with actual breathing bodies devoted to telling the truth of characters dealing with tragedy. Shows like Made in China also prove that American playwrights are still in a political frame of mind and are not frightened by a goliath such as Hamilton but inspired by it. By continuing in this fashion no matter what political turmoil may befall America everyone will maintain their right to voice their opinion. The effectiveness of that voice requires their theatrical efforts to be properly executed and this will open any ear to hear and eye to see. As for theatre there will never be a lack of content or reason for it to be produced until the end of time.

Theatre was used in the dismantling segregation in 1960, eradicating illiteracy in 1970, reminded America where it came from in 2016, and where it is going in 2017 and beyond. That is only ton name four large incidents that are replicated in multitudes every day. So to the query, does political theatre help or hurt the future of the United States of America as well as the future of theatre its self we must answer that all theatre is politically driven by someone or in some way shape or form (Boal). In order to help itself in the future it has to remain that way and never waiver. To help America’s government on the other hand, theatre must remain revolutionary, and in that sense take tactics from the American Revolution and strike at the most opportune times against an enemy that seems far larger. It must keep its insatiable hunger, but it must keep this hunger in check or risk losing all of its power. There has been and will continue to be tangible evidence of the impact that theatre has had on not only the United States of America but on the whole world. Those who need theatre must be educated on its power, then be bold enough to employ that power with all their might, and then successfully reap the benefits of that power without abusing it. I plan to do everything in my power to be a productive participant in political theatre in order to benefit the lives of myself and others in the United States of America and the world. I challenge you not only as my reader but as a living and breathing citizen of Earth to do the same.
