Final Meeting Tomorrow - Wed. August 6

Congratulations to everyone on a wonderful performance last week! We will get together tomorrow evening (Wed. August 6) after the film students' presentation in the Rauh Studio Theatre. You will each get a performance DVD and a 2008 Boal Reference book to take home with you -- and then we will say good-bye.

There is an ice-cream social at 7 pm (before the film students' presentation).

Photos from the final performance have been posted on Picasa. Below is a slideshow of some of them.

Final Performance Details

PIECES FOR THE FINAL PRESENTATION were selected last night (this is not the order they will be performed in). Mathenee will be contacting the writers/directors of each piece to put together a schedule for Sunday's rehearsal.

POSTERS are available today (Friday, July 25) in the box office after lunch. Please distribute them around campus and in your dorms.

REHEARSALS
Sunday, July 27 -- 12 noon to 3 pm (begin with ensemble pieces - other pieces will be scheduled)
Monday, July 28 -- 7 to 10 pm (Dress Tech)

PERFORMANCE
Tuesday, July 29 at 8 pm -- Rauh Theatre
(Run-through at 7 pm)

Boal Intern Performances this Weekend!

Friday, July 25 at 9 pm - Rauh Theater
"By Myself: Judy and Jon-Michael Together Again"
Jon-Michael tells the epic story about the man who got away as Judy Garland sings poignantly placed songs from her career. Suggested donation: $5

Sunday, July 27 at 5 pm -- Rauh Theater
"It's the Coming Back That's Hard"
Written by Dan Moyer

Featuring Boal Interns: Peter Albrink, Mathenee Trecco and Michaela Watkins
Suggested donation: $5

Parents' Weekend Performance Video

Parents' Weekend Boal Workshop performance including: Why?, Too Gay to Function, Silent Children and What's Going On?

60 Minutes Darfur Story - Recommended by Jill Wadsworth

(CBS) This segment was originally broadcast on Oct. 22, 2006. It was updated on July 16, 2008.

"It hardly seems possible, but the genocide in Darfur continues. Correspondent Scott Pelley first reported this story two years ago, as the government in Sudan launched a new offensive of ethnic cleansing.

Today, more than 300,000 people are dead and more than two million are refugees in the Sahara.

To understand what is happening in Darfur, 60 Minutes came upon on the story of a boy named Jacob. We know him only because his name is on schoolbooks found in the ashes of his home. Jacob's village was wiped out. Our team saw his books in a museum. We didn't know whether Jacob was alive or whether we could find him, but we decided to try. Our search turned into a remarkable journey into a place we were forbidden to travel, looking for a boy swept up in the 21st century's first genocide."

Boal Workshop Video - The Ball Exercise

A new video of the 2008 Boal Workshop company doing the ball warm-up. From one of the first sessions on July 10.

Movement Inspiration Videos - PUSH and DV8

Physical Theater blurs the line between dance and theater and provides a wonderful source of inspiration for movement and music. The two videos below are from PUSH and DV8 Physical Theater:





Other examples can be found favorited on the Boal Workshop YouTube page.

Parents' Weekend and Final Demonstration Schedule

Please remember to bring $15 tonight (Thurs. July 17) for your Boal t-shirt. The entire company will wear these t-shirts for demonstrations and performances.

Here is the schedule for upcoming rehearsals and performances:

PARENTS' WEEKEND DEMONSTRATION

Sat. July 19
10:00 am -- Entire company meets in the RAUH
10:15 am -- Begin 40 min. warmup (parents and guests are invited to watch)
11:50 am -- Entire company goes to the CHOSKY for demonstration

Anyone who would like to rehearse their images beforehand can meet at the Rauh at 9:30 am.

FINALE PERFORMANCE

Mon. July 28
7:00 pm -- Dress Tech for finale in the RAUGH

Tues. July 29
7:00 pm -- Run through the images/finale (1 hour)
8:00 pm -- Finale Performance

Amnesty International's "Visual Petition"

A global day of action on Saturday 12 July used human aerial art to call on the Chinese authorities to ensure a positive human rights legacy for the Beijing Olympics.

Thousands of Amnesty International supporters from around the world teamed up with Circle Up Now, to create large images on the ground which are only fully visible from above.

From Delhi to Bamako and Asunción, thousands of people in over twenty locations joined together to form words such as "Freedom", "Dignity" and "Justice" representing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights -- which turns 60 on 10 December 2008.

Created on the eve of the anniversary of Beijing being granted the 2008 Olympics, this powerful "visual petition" was an appeal to the Chinese authorities to honour the commitment they made in 2001 to improve human rights.



Recommended by Boal Workshop intern Rose Arscot.

Photos from Thursday, July 10 Boal Session

Guest Speakers Lost Boys of Sudan and Invisible Children

Tuesday's guest speakers included Panther Bior, from the film "God Grew Tired of Us," and Janet Checkley from "Invisible Children."

Panther, one of 27,000 "Lost Boys of Sudan" spoke of the oppression of the Muslim Sudanese government during the late 1980s. He described his experiences as a refugee and his relocation to Pittsburgh in 2002. Panther recently graduated with a degree in Accounting and three months ago his wife, Nyathiec, joined him in the U.S. Panther is hoping to raise enough money to build a school in Mareng, his home village in Sudan, through the Sudanese School Project. If you would like to make a donation, please visit www.iwashungry.org.

Janet Checkley showed a portion of the film, "Invisible Children," and spoke about the organization working to help the children of Uganda. As a volunteer for the group, she described the various ways that high school and college students can become actively involved in making a difference. The Invisible Children website is filled with information, including how to arrange for a screening of the film at your school.

If you would like to see more of the "Invisible Children" film it is available on Google Video.

Thanks to Panther Bior and his wife Nyathiec, Becky Kirkwood from Heaven's Family, and Janet Checkley from Invisible Children.

Rose Arscott Recommendation - "Talk, Talk" Video

Rose suggests that you watch this British commercial for "Talk, Talk." This is part of a series showing people coming together and using their bodies to create shapes and images. Other commercials from the "Talk, Talk" series are on YouTube... so check them all out. You might find something to inspire you!

Thursday's Speakers Jackson Ndizeye from Rwanda Ambrose Nyandemeh from Sierra Leone

Jackson Ndizeye and Ambrose Nyandemeh spoke about the issues and challenges facing the people of Rwanda and Sierra Leone.

Mr. Ndizeye is trying to help his people in Rwanda by bringing wind energy to them. For more information about him and his wind energy project, read the article on allAfrica.com. You can contact Mr. Ndizeye on Facebook by sending him a message and he will add you as a friend. A paypal link is also on his page if you would like to make a donation to his project.

Mr. Nyandemeh spoke about Sierra Leone and "blood diamonds." A portion of the film "Cry Freetown" was shown. This documentary is in very limited release and not yet available on Amazon.com.

Our deepest thanks and gratitude to both Jackson Ndizeye and Ambrose Nyandemeh.

Movies to Watch about Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Sudan

As we continue to raise our awareness about some of the issues and challenges that people are facing in Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Sudan, you might want to watch the following movies. If you purchase any of them from amazon.com a small percentage of the sale will come back to the Boal Workshop group to donate to some of the groups working in these countries.

Sierra Leone


Rwanda


Sudan


Uganda

Photos from Tuesday's Audition

If you would like to view the album, click the person icon on the left to take you to the gallery.

Audition Information and Schedule

Because we did not get through all of the image audition pieces last night, auditions will continue for the first hour on Thursday, July 3. Please limit your pieces to 3 minutes each so that we can complete them. Everyone who is interested in participating in the Boal Workshop should come on Thursday, even if you have already auditioned.

Thursday, July 3
7:00 to 8:00 pm Auditions continue - please limit your pieces to 3 mins.
8:00 t0 10:00 pm Visitors/guest speakers from Rwanda and Sierra Leone

Tuesday, July 8
7:00 to 10:00 pm Visitors/guest speakers - Invisible Children and Lost Boys of Sudan

Sessions involving guest speakers are open to all pre-college drama students.

Guest Speaker Panther Bior "God Grew Tired of Us"

Panther Bior, featured in the film "God Grew Tired of Us," will be a guest speaker on Tuesday, July 8. You can watch a clip featuring him and some of the other Lost Boys of Sudan below.

Website and Video Recommendation The Boy from Centreville

Jill Wadsworth recommends that you look at this website and watch the video documentary.

The Boy From Centreville, a devised theatrical piece, tells the story of the Virginia Tech shooting, and the lead-up to it, using verbatim text, cutting edge video and sound, and ensemble movement. This remarkable show blends the suspense of a horrific thriller with the impact of graphic documentary to explore this event. This is an emotionally resonant and beautiful hour of pure theatre. Directed by Catherine Alexander for the 2008 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

A documentary video about the making of this piece along with links to more detailed background information, both on the Virginia Tech tragedy and on rampage shootings, can be found on The Boy From Centreville site.

Examples of Image Theater from Demonstration

Five image theater pieces were presented by the Boal Workshop interns at the demonstration on Saturday, June 28. For those of you who requested the text/scripts, click on the hyperlinks below. Remember, company auditions will be held on Tuesday at 7 pm in Studio A.

Arise! (War)

Tyra Banks Told Me So (Body Image)

Then They Came For Me (Intolerance/Indifference)

Where Is The Honor - Fatima (Status of Women)

No War in My Name (War)

Free Hugs Video - Invisible Theater

An example of invisible theater by the CMU pre-college Boal Workshop interns. The "Free Hugs" campaign was started by Juan Mann.

Improv Everywhere - Invisible Theater Video

Recommended by Jill Wadsworth:
You MUST check out this website from the improv troupe Improv Everywhere! Here is an example of one of their pieces called FROZEN GRAND CENTRAL.

Boal Workshop Demonstration - Sunday, June 29 @ 3:30 pm

CMU Pre-College drama students are invited to a demonstration of an exciting theater workshop!
Sunday, June 29 at 3:30 pm - Rauh Theatre

This workshop uses the techniques of AUGUSTO BOAL, a Brazilian theatre director, writer, politician, social activist and theorist who has theatre centers in Rio de Janiero and Paris. His most well-know book "Theatre of the Oppressed," has been translated into 25 languages. Boal's world-famous methods transform theatre into a democratic arena where the spectator becomes the "spect-actor," contributing ideas, taking over roles, and using theatre to confront problems such as sexual harassment, racism, poor pay, homophobia, and all forms of exploitation or oppression. His belief that theatre enables us to create rather than wait for the future has inspired people all over the world to use his techniques in a multitude of settings. The company will create their own dramas, monologues, improvisations, songs and movement pieces to:

Strenghten flexibility in imagination, concentration, physical freedom, and ensemble collaboration


Present the work they have created to the students and faculty at CMU Pre-College

The company will be limited to 35 participants who will be selected during an audition on Tuesday, July 1 at 7pm in the Studio A (see the post below for information about the audition)

Boal Workshop Auditions - Tuesday, July 1

CMU pre-college drama students who are interested in joining the company should attend the workshop demonstration on Sunday, June 29 (3:30 pm in Studio A).

The audition will be held on Tuesday, July 1 (7:00 pm in Studio A)
35 students will be selected to participate in the company

The audition will consist of:

• Warm-Up - looking for energy, passion, commitment, focus, desire to learn and give of self to others
• Prepared Image Theatre Piece - you will create and perform a short, simple and clear piece (5 mins. or less) using music, song, movement. Cast other kids and rehearse before the audition. For subjects you might want to address, see the post below.

We are not looking for perfection. Members of the company will be selected based on their having a passion and enthusiasm to learn and express themselves.

Issues You Might Address

For the audition and throughout the workshop, you might want to address any of the following global/wordwide or local/community/school issues:

GLOBAL/WORLDWIDE

• Prejudice/Bigotry
• Status of Women
• Justice/Judicial System
• Death
• Hunger and Starvation
• Unemployment
• Political Tyranny
• Land Mines
• Slavery
• Genocide
• Unjust Imprisonment
• Infant Mortality
• Medical Care/Health Care
• HIV Aids
• Sex Slavery
• Pure Water
• Living Conditions
• War
• Nuclear Threat
• Religious Freedom
• Police Brutality
• Speaking Your Mind for What is Right
• Torture - Abu Ghraib

LOCAL/COMMUNITY/SCHOOL

• Prejudice/Bigotry
• Sexual Harassment
• Peer Pressure
• Bullying/Gossip
• Sensitivity to Others
• Social Status - Monetary
• Addictions - Drug/Alcohol
• Eating Disorders
• Suicide
• Abuse From Authority Figures
• Labeling
• Class Separation
• Gun Violence/Gun Control
• Conformity
• Domestic Violence
• Divorce
• Sexual Orientation
• War
• Physical and Sexual Abuse/Date Rape
• Molestation/Incest
• Wearing Masks to Hide

Recommended YouTube Videos

Jill Wadsworth recommends that you watch J.K. Rowlings' Harvard commencement speech (below in two parts). More recommended videos can be viewed in the "favorites" section at www.youtube.com/BoalWorkshop2008.

Recommended Reading - Augusto Boal Books

If you purchase any of the following Augusto Boal books from Amazon.com, a percentage of the sales will be donated to a charity of the company's choosing. A small and easy way to help create change!

Boal Workshop Schedule

Sun. June 29 - 3:30 pm - Boal Demonstration (Rauh Theater)
Tues. July 1 - 7:00 pm - Company Auditions (Studio A)

Classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:00 to 10:00 pm in Studio A

Thurs. July 3 - Finish auditions (first hour) - speakers from Rwanda & Sierra Leone
Tues. July 8 - Speakers from Invisible Children & Lost Boys of Sudan
Thurs. July 10
Tues. July 15
Thurs. July 17
Tues. July 22
Thurs. July 24

PARENTS' WEEKEND DEMONSTRATION

Sat. July 19
10:00 am -- Entire company meets in the RAUH
10:15 am -- Begin 40 min. warmup (parents and guests are invited to watch)
11:50 am -- Entire company goes to the CHOSKY for demonstration

Anyone who would like to rehearse their images beforehand can meet at the Rauh at 9:30 am.

FINALE PERFORMANCE

Sun. July 27
12 noon to 3 pm -- Rehearsal. Ensemble pieces first. All others to be scheduled.

Mon. July 28
7:00 pm -- Dress Tech for finale in the RAUH

Tues. July 29
7:00 pm -- Run through the images/finale (1 hour)
8:00 pm -- Finale Performance

Three Boal Techniques

INVISIBLE THEATRE is a technique of rehearsing a scene with actions that the protagonist would like to try out in real life. This is done in a place where these events could really happen and in front of an audience who, unaware that they are an audience, accordingly act as if the improvised scene was real. Thus, the improvised scene becomes reality. Fiction penetrates reality. What the protagonist had rehearsed as a plan, a blueprint, now becomes an act.

IMAGE THEATRE consists of creating short scenes, no longer than a minute or two, with a strong image that the entire audience can easily understand, identify, and apply to their own lives. Images can be realistic, allegorical, surrealistic, symbolic or metaphorical. The only thing that matters is that it is true; that it is felt as true by the protagonist. Images tell the story in a condensed, outline form using pictures with very little or no talking. The audience is pulled in immediately because they know exactly what is being said. Movement, music, and ensemble are used to heighten the impact.

FORUM THEATRE is a type of theatrical game where a problem is shown in an unresolved form. The audience is invited to suggest and enact solutions. The scenario is then repeated, allowing the audience to offer alternative solutions. The game is a contest between the audience and actors trying to bring the play (or oppression) to a different end. The result is a pooling of knowledge, tactics and experiences. As the audience participates in enacting solutions to break the cycle of oppression they are also “rehearsing for life.”

The video below gives an example of Forum Theatre


From the Inside Out -- Interactive Theater of the Oppressed
46 min - Jun 8, 2007

Theater for All, offers highly participatory workshops and interactive theater performance exploring issues of mental Health. Plays are performed by and for people dealing with mental health issues, family, friends, supporting professionals and the public. The following performances from June 2007 (at Portland State), are on law enforcement. This is an example of a technique, created by Augusto Boal called Forum Theatre.


activist from Brazil.

JILL WADSWORTH
CMU Pre-College Boal Workshop Director

Jill is an actor, director and award-winning instructor known for her ability to tap the artistic genius in young performers. Patience and sensitivity are hallmarks of her expertise in training young actors in the Pittsburgh Public Schools, Point Park Community Classes, CLO Academy and Pittsburgh Youth Ballet. She also has taught at Carnegie-Mellon University, Point Park University and Carnegie-Mellon Pre-College. Jill has created and directed numerous programs encouraging excellence in education through the arts. She has directed more than 30 productions in popular local venues, many to critical acclaim, and performed numerous roles on stage and in feature films.

Over the past five years Jill has directed the Boal Workshop at CMU Pre-College. Her passion has inspired students to use their talent to bring change to a world that can be brutal, uncaring, and self-centered. A few of her credits in this area include: the founding of Parents Anonymous of Pittsburgh, State Coordinator of Parents Anonymous of Pennsylvania, the founding of “New Horizons” – an acting class for physically and mentally handicapped adults -- equipping autistic teens to build communication skills through the use of theatre techniques, and touching the lives of homeless children through acting classes in shelters.

AWARDS/BOARDS

Dr. Martin Luther King’s Citizen Award - Founding Parents Anonymous Pittsburgh
American Medical Association Award - Work in the field of Child Abuse
Board of Directors: Rwindalectric Inc. (Bringing wind turbine electric to Rwanda)