Purandar

There was a great thinker , social reformer and playwright  in Brazil , named Augusto Boal . 

He developed a special kind of Theater pattern called Theater of the Oppressed . The fundamental intent of this theater pattern was to empower the under privileged people of Brazil . 

One component of Theater of the Oppressed was termed as Forum Theater . 

In Forum Theater , a  theme on any socioeconomic problem  was conceived  and enacted by the trained theater actors before a group of underprivileged marginalized spectators. Then at a time when the climax has reached in the drama , the spectators were asked to enter into the theater arena  and function as role players . To be precise the spectators were asked to create solutions in the problem context and express those solutions in the form of acting. 

Thus the the passive status of the underprivileged spectators  is converted/transformed  into creative & proactive role-players . So  Forum Theater dealt with empowerment of the underprivileged people . It facilitated the common people to unleash their pent up potential . 

I believe that FORUM THEATER is very much relevant in Facilitation  of  team of learners . It is an excellent tool for facilitating the  engagement of learners and enabling them  in the process of unearthing their creative potential . During my sessions as a Process Facilitator , I have judiciously administered Forum Theater as a tool for ensuring spontaneous participation and Experimental Learning of the trainees . 

I have asked one group of learners to consider themselves as colleagues in an Organization and to create a theme on a problem in their organizational arena .  When they portrayed the problem through Role Play , I asked another group of learners to play the role of OD Intervention Practitioners . They were asked to analyze the problem of the first group , create solution oriented interventions and then enact those interventions through role play . 

Thus a stage comes when the two groups of learners interact among themselves and collaborate together to design interventions aiming at alleviating the problems created by the first group of learners . 

I encourage the practicing facilitators to make use of Forum Theater as a result oriented learning tool. It fosters psycho-social competencies like creative Thinking , Critical Thinking , Decision Making , Problem Solving , Effective Communication , Relationship Building , Empathy , Emotional Resilience 

i convey my profound reverence to Augusto Boal