1. Applying Brecht’s and Boal’s Theories to Virtual Forum Theater Alice C. Mello Cavallo Interdisciplinary PhD Tufts University Arts, Sciences, and Engineering Departments of Drama and Dance, Computer Science, and Child Development. Advisors: Downing Cless, Alva Couch, Marina Bers

2. Virtual Forum Theatre -VFT  Web-based environment for creating collaborative digital drama.  Digital drama is a multimedia presentation of a dramatic play using digital means, including audio, images, and video.  A Multi-user Virtual Environment -MUVE  Safe environment in which to play out different responses to conflict:  role-playing and trials of solutions to conflicted and oppressive environments.  propose a new on-line solution to an existing conflict.  interact with peers on the WWW in order to help validate or invalidate the solution.  Based upon the theoretical framework provided by Freire, constructivism (Piaget), constructionism (Papert), Theater of the Oppressed (Boal), Bertolt Brecht’s theory on theater and Computer Supported Collaborative Learning-CSCL (Koschmann).

3. Relating Brecht’s theory to VFT  In VFT the learner should be aware that the virtual dramatic play is a representation of reality and not reality in itself.  VFT use of the web browser and its own nature of non- physical presence will decrease the realism of the characters and the play.  VFT uses icon masks portraying basic emotions.  VFT allows introduction of interruptions between frames.  The goal of Brecht was to give a social stimulus to his audience and get them moving. The goal of VFT focuses on learning, but hopes to provide a social stimulus and get the participants moving through the transformation achieved by their own creations and feedback from others.

4. The influence of Boal’s Theater of the Oppressed on VFT  VFT ‘s play is always dealing with some present and real issue of the audience’s daily life.  VFT allows simultaneous dramaturgy where actors and audience write a play together.  VFT allows children to introduce flags in the play where they want feedback.  VFT allows any number of character replacement.  VFT foster critical awareness.

5. Applying Brecht’s and Boal’s work to VFT  I will apply Brecht’s gestus and the external acting approaches to VFT through the use of icon masks and children’s own acting.  VFT allows interruption and change of action at any moment of the play.  Audience are virtual spect-actors and active learners.  Children will critique the production on which they are collaborating.  VFT will not limit the replacement of the protagonist or any other character.

6. Audience  Target audience for our study is minority children age 10 to 13 : Brazilian, Afro- American and South-American.  Otherwise:  Any school age children, especially the most shy ones.  Existing Theater of the Oppressed groups.  People who want help with personal issues.

7. Design Architecture

8. Dramatic Faces

9. GUI Storyboard

10. Why VFT  VFT can give disadvantaged children one vehicle with which to improve their expressive fluency.  VFT aims to establish an electronic environment of free expression that exploits and builds upon the anonymous characteristics of Internet interactions.  At the same time children can become more acquainted with the technology that might be essential for their future work life.

11. Why VFT  Children physically located in widely separated areas can:  share their experience with others in the same situation,  safely elaborate their struggles,  pursue points of view and formulate solutions to the same kind of problems that their peers experience in another part of the town, state or country in which they live.

12. Conclusion  Boal and Brecht see their theater as a tool for social transformation and innovation.  They are both revolutionary and correspond to particular trends of their time.  They use theater for venting problems, prompting solutions, and fostering powerful movements.  VFT expands this active audience by implementing Brecht’s and Boal’s techniques in a virtual WWW environment and empowering children to be agents of change.  We want to give children the chance to design the world where they are growing up by planning and living it through role playing in a safe and anonymous internet environment.  Demo of an enacted Play using pictures. Demo

13. Acknowledgements  Downing Cless – Associate Professor at Drama and Dance  Alva Couch – Associate Professor at Computer Science (CS)  Ming Y Chow – master student at CS