Activists use Invisible Theatre in the wake of 9/11 (Part 2 of 3)

[corperalbeast]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, TAKE OFF THE FILTER!!!!!! GOOD INFORMATION BUT STOP TOUCHING YOUR FACE!!!!

[TheSpartacat]

@corperalbeast NO!!!!!!!!! and NO!!!!!!!!!

what kind of pointless comment was this?

[corperalbeast]

@TheSpartacat Our teacher showed this video to us in class today, and we all thought you were great and so useful, but the filter thing blown up on a projector is all crackely and kinda freaky. Like if you moved back from the camera a bit maybe it could work better? But obviously, if you have a particular reason for it then it's your choice :)

[TheSpartacat]

@corperalbeast wow, that weird to hear. I just made this video for a few friends i thought might be interested.. they um, don't mind me having an itchy chin (or whatever reason i was rubbing it) :-D I hate being on camera, hence the filter... and my lighting/camera sucks.

Cool that you're being taught about Boal... his work was amazing.

[Kiddolinfen09]

Perception is everything. I'm still mildly confused about how people think peaceful protest can work in a modern, equal opportunities, civilised culture... although, we're making headway in that the media is calling free-thinkers and sceptics of all stripes (conspiracy theorists predominantly) 'mentally ill' - which is prejudiced and over-generalizing - as soon as they call us savages, peaceful protest can work to switch publci perception.

Boal - as you describe him - reminds me of Artaud.

[MikeRadmann]

K, I have been studing Edward Bernays' book on Propaganda... he used similar techniques to change people's opinions in unusual ways at the beginning of the century. You would learn much from his theories; mixing them with Boal's would be useful!

Adding Boal's techniques with "objective" TV coverage of the 'event' would be an interesting experiment in expanding the size of the spect-actors involved =D

Peace and Love

P.S. Need an extra? I could be persuaded to trade in a few more air miles :)

[smileykai77]

Reminds me of Everything is OK.

Note to one self: send Charlie link to this vid.

Very revolutionary and inspirational.

People govern themselves!

I can't write a complete sentence.

Some times.

Thank you Spartacat!!

Much love to you.

[TheSpartacat]

I first saw Danny when I was at the G20 protest last April- he was talking to the people alone (the pre-megaphone days- i think he met Charlie that very day?) and what he was doing reminded me SO much of some of Boal's ideas. I was having a whole series of coincidences that kept leading back to Boal around that time & he was one of them. Then Boal died a few weeks later. Synchronicity! When I encountered Danny on YT a couple months later- Boal was the first thing I HAD to tell him about!

[TheSpartacat]

... I definitely see some comparisons in what they did naturally with Everything is OK & I noticed Charlie admires Paolo Freire's work. Freire was a close friend and influence on Boal and the idea behind Theatre of the Oppressed.

I'm not sure if Charlie's looked into Boal, but he should. There's a group in London called Cardboard Citizens. Met one of them last Summer- he does a lot of activism work beyond cardboard citizens. Great guy...

[smileykai77]

Synchronicity indeed.

I've been absorbing myself with the argument of Human and Person.. things are getting very interesting exponentially faster. Exciting times indeed and I am honored to be here experiencing it. Looking forward to meeting you in the future as a Divine Equal Freeman on the planet called Earth.

^^,

I've never met Danny or Charlie but have a feeling that I will soon!

Would be cool to orchestrate a massive one in London. Would be fun and really help the truth movement.

[rageunderground]

good stuff, have posted a response to a video i uploaded last year on IVAW using this technique to create a public theater spectacle by running around the city in full military gear carrying out missions they would do in afghanistan and Iraq on a daily basis, even though no one was carrying weapons, instead pointing hands for guns, the reaction they created was truly shocking for the bystanders.

[TheSpartacat]

It's brilliant! Thanks rage.

When I was studying this type of theatre I came across an almost complete opposite of that. A group of maybe 100+ players dressed as police & descended on London, I think in the 80s. The public saw the 'police' skipping around Leicester Sq, paddling in Trafalgar fountain and holding hands/kissing in Hyde Park. They wanted to show that authority figures were human too. Half got arrested for impersonating a police officer.....ctnd

[TheSpartacat]

... but they got off because there were enough points of dissimilarity in the uniforms- plastic kids trucheons and plastic hats/badges with the wrong crest/logo.

Of course, with the anti-"terrorism" laws today there's no chance of them getting off... not without a cavity search and a record.... :-/

[gadzometer]

Very good info SpartaCat.

And good point with regards to handing out info... watch this.

watch?v=9BiHzcGSZEM&

[TheSpartacat]

That... is... AMAZING! :-O

I know I'm terrible for ignoring flyers. I guess its psychological- if someone's giving you something for free, there must be something wrong with it. Giving something in order to get something from you- too much advertising rammed down our throats already!

But some of those women actually SAW what he had in his hand and walked on! Hahaha

[elainefromireland]

Because it's not telling people what to think, they are trying to get an honest reaction from people. There's no "sad" music or cues for reaction etc.

[CosmicDramaQueen]

I agree with you on this approach vs DVD handouts or bum rushing ideas...absolutely!

[TheSpartacat]

Its a sensitive topic they tackled- but it could be used on less sensitive ones... like walking into McDonalds and demanding your money back because their food gave you a coronary bypass and they hadnt warned you that was a possible side effect.. . and doing it loudly enough to have other people join in. (but that would come with its own set of possible outcomes, like getting frogmarched outta there...)

[MrTearsintherain]

This is very powerful, yet dangerous stuff! It is important though, I would recommend it as a GREAT social cathartic anywhere. But still, it is very dangerous for the actors.

[TheSpartacat]

Yup, it really is... but its no more dangerous than life I guess. It blurs the lines and provokes. But sometimes things need provoking to bring them into the light of day...

[MrTearsintherain]

@TheSpartacat Life is dangerous when one ISN'T being deliberately provocative! I so tip my hat to you and all of your fellows who dared do this....salut!

[elainefromireland]

Love it. :) It's interesting what people will agree to in theory until they get a taste of it themselves... *sigh*

This was so interesting!! Thank you kitty!

[TheSpartacat]

The media is so good at consensus making throughout public opinion when the public really has no real insight or experience to back these opinions up with... just whatever the media told them... Boal was all about unravelling what a person really thought- getting the individual to work it out for themselves and act on it. It's all based on the theory that the oppressed have to give the oppressor permission to oppress them to start with- that its a willing passiveness that he pulled ppl out of