"Games for Actors and Non-Actors is the classic and bestselling book by the founder of Theatre of the Oppressed, Augusto Boal. It sets out the principles and practice of Boal's revolutionary method, showing how theatre can be used to transform and liberate everyone - actors and non-actors alike! Thi ... s new third English edition includes recently uncovered interviews and essays from the 1970s, some of which featured in the earliest Portuguese edition of this book and a new essay by the theatre director Sergio de Carvalho, which looks at Boal's work in the context of Brazilian theatre and politics over the past fifty years. This is a vital handbook for theatre makers and activists of all kinds who want to deepen their understanding of the theory and practice of Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed. It is also an excellent introduction for those new to the system." (Publisher description) more

"This work is an attempt to use theatre in a political context to create a truer form of democracy - a method to engage the populace. At the heart of Boal's method of Forum Theatre - which is already used in diverse contexts - is the dual meaning of the verb "to act": to perform and take action. In ... 'Legislative Theatre' he takes one stage further his concept of the "spect-actor" - the spectator who intervenes in an unresolved scenario on stage and attempts to break a depicted cycle of oppression. As a politician in his native Rio de Janeiro, Boal demonstrated that his ideas of mixing theatre and politics could generate needed legislation and social change. This amazing work includes full explanation of the development and principles of legislative theatre and a description of the process in operation in Rio. Also included are essays, speeches, and lectures on Popular Theatre, Paulo Freire, cultural activism, and the point of playwriting that Boal has written since his involvement with Brazilian Parliament." (Intermediate Technology Bookshop 2000 catalogue) more