Sunday Morning

This past week has been unbelievably overwhelming and exciting. Overall, it has been a positive experience for me to able to take some time away from the chaos of the educational system in Los Angeles and truly reflect on my practice as an educator. I went into teaching bright-eyed, ready to change the world but over the last four years I have found it an uphill battle having to deal with the politics and complexities of education that they don't necessarily teach you in grad school. These experiences have made me stronger and wiser, but I know I still have a long way to go. Being here in New York and with this workshop has reminded me that no matter how difficult the fight may seem, it is a cause worth fighting for. Theatre of the Oppressed is most certainly a "weapon" that I didn't know I needed,  but i'm glad I've had the opportunity to find it.

Kayhan Irani 

This week I learned that Theatre of the Oppressed is used as a "rehearsal for the revolution." It's about giving the  power back to the oppressed people and discovering ways in which change can occur. There are multiple theatre techniques in TO, but I believe the one that is most associated with TO is Forum Theatre. I will attempt my understanding of it so far: a group of actors present a scene in which oppression has occurred and the audience, the spect-actors, participate by presenting alternative solutions in which the oppressed individual, the protagonist, can overcome this particular situation. On Thursday, we had the pleasure of working with Kayhan Irani to develop our own Forum Theatre scenes to be presented on our last day of the workshop, Tuesday. It's exciting to actually put the knowledge in practice. More on that soon!

Baby Boal, Process Drama, and Other Fun Stuff

Fortunately, Julian Boal is soon to be a proud father of a baby boy; unfortunately, he had to leave our class sooner than expected and fly back to France to be with his partner. Luckily, New York and New York University has phenomenal connections within the Educational Theatre world that the class continues to thrive despite this unforeseen circumstance. I still felt privileged to work with him for a short time, and I look forward to continue studying his work.

Cecily O'Neill

Today, we had the honor of working with Cecily O'Neill, a well-known authority on Process Drama and theatre education. It was the first time hearing and participating in Process Drama, and I certainly look forward to bringing it into both my English and Drama classroom. We assumed the roles of war veterans, loved ones, counselors, and military officials and re-enacted various situations in which they would interact. It was powerful because I was able to both connect to a grieving soldier's wife who I played and myself as a teacher who was frantically thinking of ways to adapt the activity to my classroom. Although not entirely connected to Theatre of the Oppressed techniques, Cecily explains that Process Drama does provide the participants an opportunity to explore a variety of issues, themes, and relationships in order to understand alternative viewpoints. Both TO and Process Drama allow actors and participants to be conscious about different aspects of the human condition.

Tomorrow, we study and have the honor of working with Kayhan Irani. She is another well-known authority on Theatre of the Oppressed. We will also begin working on our own final presentations to present in the Black Box Studio next Tuesday. Exciting!

"These streets will make you feel brand new. Big lights will inspire you, let's here it for..."

NEW YORK, NEW YORK! 

Wow. I haven't realized I haven't blogged in a minute. I have so much to tell you guys about: my students short and small production, the costume shop tour, New York! I will start with New York because i'm here and it's the most exciting. 

I flew in Sunday evening with a friend that came along for the ride.We are both staying at a close friend's apartment in the East Village. This week my Introduction to Theatre of the Oppressed course runs from about 1pm-6pm everyday at New York University, so before my first class yesterday we decided to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and eat at Grimaldi's pizza. It was such a beautiful day.

After our lunch, we parted ways because I had to head over to class. On the subway ride to campus, I was extremely excited, but also very nervous. I felt like my own students asking myself silly questions: What are the other students going to be like? Is it going to be hard? I wonder if i'm going to look dumb? What is he going to make us to? What should I bring? It's been a while since I took a college class. After calming myself down, I bought myself a notebook and proceeded into the small Black Box Theatre near Washington Square Park. I don't know why I was so nervous. It's a small intimate class of about 18 easy-going, theatre lovers/activists/educator-students like me! One women teaches middle school Theatre in the Dominican Republic and another taught AIDS awareness through theatre in Africa. Amazing group of people. 

Mr. Julian Boal and me

During this first class we played games and dialogued about he origins of Theatre of the Oppressed and the meaning of oppression. It's nice to be a student again. Julian Boal, the instructor and son of Augusto Boal who created Theatre of the Oppressed, shared amazing stories about their experiences with this work all over the world. First day, completely inspired.

Later that evening, I topped the night off by watching Avenue Q with my friend, Morley. She was able to get discounted tickets from the TKTS booth while I was in class. It was the second time seeing it, but it was still just as funny. Who knew puppets can be so insightful and hilarious? 

food for thought

As I count down the days to summer, I'm stealing a few moments here and there to anxiously flip through books and read what I can about Boal and Theatre of the Oppressed. In Games for Actors and Non-Actors by Boal, i'm learning more and more how this work is so beautiful and powerful. Boal believes, "Theatre is a form of knowledge; it should and can also be a means of transforming society. Theatre can help us build our future, instead of just waiting for it." This is both exciting and intimidating. I would love to think that what happens in my classroom is transforming lives, but  it also adds so much pressure. I constantly question whether i'm doing enough and/or doing it "right". Are the students "getting it" or are they merely going through the motions? Hmmm.

In other news, I am officially all booked for New York and Chicago: plane tickets, hotel, conference registration and enrollment at NYU. Woohoo! 

The Plan

My main concern as an educator is to provide meaningful and effective classroom instruction. Since my students come from historically disadvantaged communities, meaningful and effective means empowering them with the skills necessary to succeed now and after high school. With this in mind, I've decided to draw on the teachings of both Paulo Freire, author of Pedagogy of the Oppressed, and Augusto Boal, author of Theatre of the Oppressed, to help guide my practice. Their ideas are centered around themes of social justice, community, and empowerment. I've read and studied Freire in grad school, but studying Boal's work is a new and exciting endeavor for me.

The first stop on my learning adventure starts in June with an Introduction to Theatre of the Oppressed course at New York University. It's a seven day intensive course at a small theatre off-campus with Julian Boal. I have already registered, booked my flight, and reserved a spot on a friend's couch. NYC, here I come!

The next stop brings me to Chicago in July to attend the four day Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed Conference. Once I learn the fundamentals in New York, I think this conference will provide an amazing opportunity to meet other like-minded activists and educators who are practicing this work. Although I have already booked my flight, their registration and hotel information are still not available. Waiting game.

When all  the traveling and studying has settled in, I get to put it in action! I recently partnered with a local theatre company, CASA 0101, to begin planning a summer acting course centered around the Boal's methods. Our classes will be aimed at engaging the students of the community in meaningful and fun summer activities. I have worked with CASA 0101 this past year to bridge the school and local community organizations, and i'm excited to be teaching among their talented staff.

So far, that's the plan. I'm really excited because this fellowship gives me the opportunity to nurture aspects of my life that I value very much: learning, teaching, and traveling. I know that everything I will take away from his experience can be applied directly to my English and Drama classrooms and also my personal life. Let the adventure begin.  I can't wait to meet the other lucky fellows at the dinner next week!

  

The journey begins!

I am unbelievably excited to be a 2011 Chase Fellow and share this journey with all of you. My full name is Aileen Cervantes Gendrano, but my students call me Miss G. They say it's because i'm "gangsta". I hope that's a good thing. I currently teach both 10th grade English and Drama in Boyle Heights, inner-city Los Angeles. Although I have never been formally trained in Theatre Arts, I have tried my best to provide my student with an amazing Drama experience. I am truly grateful for this fellowship because it has given me the opportunity to learn and grow as a Theatre educator. This means a lot to me.

Coming soon... the plan!