Teaching Without Words: Image Theatre Technique as a New Teaching Model

Abstract

Augusto Boal's Image Theatre Technique is one of the most effective dynamic learning methods. Image theatre is a series of exercises and games formalized to bring out essential truths about societies and cultures without resort, in the first instance, to spoken language. Using this method in the classroom vitalizes students. "Vitalization" attempts to overcome student pacification and acceptance of society as it is and motivate change in society through action, first in a safe fictious/real environment created through Image Theatre technique and secondly, by giving participants concomitantly the courage to practice change in real life, thereby achieving happiness. If briefly put forward, the idea underlying this method is "a picture paints a thousand words." Our over assuredness on words can confuse or obfuscate central issues, rather than clarifying them. Images can reflect much better our true feelings, even our subconscious feelings than words, since the process of "thinking with our hands" can short-circuit the censorship of the brain the invisible blockaders placed there by society or personal experience. Images work across language and culture barriers and most often uncover unanticipated universalities. Working with images brings more democracy to the class because it does not privilege more verbally articulate people. It gives people their right to originate their own images of their reality and utilize it as a social communicative mean. By that means they can better understand themselves as social beings and their social lives. Thus Image Theatre enables the participants to think; act and take control of the drama not only the one rehearsed in the theatre, but also, the one practiced in the real world. It focuses on process rather than product. During the process, participants overcome obstacles, censures, blockages (both physical and emotional) they have encountered in the method Boal has employed.