2019 Year 12 IB Extended Essays

create dramatic meaning and action in any performance. “We must change reality, not interpret it.” (Boal, Augusto 1980) On a broader contextual level, "spect-actor" aims to prevent the isolation of the audience. By delegating the power of task and action to the spectator, social change is invited and welcome. The Jana Sanskriti Centre prosperously contributes to Boal's notion of the spect-actor, through their approach to Forum Theatre. Recognising the inability to singlehandedly cover the entire scope and depth of the issues they address within one Forum Session; JS implements multiple outreaches to the same audiences. By revisiting the communities and repeating performances, they not only cultivate continuous engagement but provide the participants with a space for reflection. This approach generates profound introspection, as upon the second session, spectactors intervene with a more critical approach. According to founder Sanjoy Ganguly, this is the aesthetic of TO. Rather than ‘structural beauty’ of a play, Ganguly defines aesthetic as the intellectual growth of the actors and spectators; their 'internal revolution'. The ability of citizens not only to recognise their oppression but to incite action against it in the immediate context of their lives. The transition from spect-acting to 'spect-activism.' 'Boal said spect-actor, and now we are saying spect-activists.' (Ganguly, Sanjoy. From Boal to Jana Sanskriti: Practice and Principles (Routledge Focus)) Much of Augusto Boal's theatrical process requires a neutral party to be at the center of proceedings. This individual is usually called the "facilitator". In Boal's literature, this role is referred to as the "joker", in reference to the neutrality of the Joker card in a deck of playing cards. This person takes responsibility for the logistics of the process and ensures a fair proceeding. For JS, the role of the joker is to facilitate dialogue and allow people to get connected.

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