In the foreword to his manifesto, Theatre of the Oppressed, acclaimed Brazilian theatre practitioner and activist, Augusto Boal, asserts that “...all the activities of man are political and theater is one of them” and that theatre can be a “...weapon for liberation.” He argues that theatre must be revolutionized, must not be an event during which an audience passively receives the action, lulled into the comforts of spectatorship, but is rather called to act in response to injustices dramatized on the stage. In this course, we will explore the ideas of spectatorship and civic duty in the modern-age of social media: how may we act in the face of injustice? How may we respond to calls to action? How often, when given the choice to act or ignore, do we succumb to the comforts afforded us for just a little longer? What would it take to make the choice to act? And what do we hope to do? To guide our exploration of these questions, we will read excerpts from Theatre of Oppressed, in addition to the writings of other artists – those who influenced Boal’s conception of his practices, and those on whom Boal had a profound impact. Other readings may include, but are not limited to, Poetics by Aristotle, Brecht on Theatre by Bertolt Brecht, Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire, An Actor Prepares by Konstantin Stanislavski, in addition to plays written by Augusto Boal, Bertolt Brecht, Tony Kushner, Caryl Churchill, Anna Deavere Smith, Jackie Sibblies Drury, and Ntozake Shange. This course will involve writing analytical responses and experimenting with playwriting and devising as we bring Boal’s practices to life.