virtual forum theatre -vft web-based environment for creating collaborative digital drama
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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. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Applying Brecht’s and Boal’s Theories to Virtual
Forum TheaterAlice C. Mello CavalloInterdisciplinary PhD
Tufts University Arts, Sciences, and Engineering
Departments of Drama and Dance,Computer Science, and Child Development.
Advisors: Downing Cless, Alva Couch, Marina Bers
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).
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.
The influence of Boal’s Theater of the Oppressed on VFTVFT ‘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.
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.
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.
Design Architecturesyncronized audio
dramatic faces/tweeningvideo clips
animation by frames : drawing/ photographbackdrop images
free-ware drawing toolsReal One Player
free-ware editing video tool
GUI drag&drop interface: story board with time line
SMIL files encrypt sounds/images/text
Images
Audio
Free Software
Implem enting in Java
props images
Virtual Forum chat room
Dramatic Faces
GUI Storyboard
Why VFTVFT 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.
Why VFTChildren 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.
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.
Acknowledgements
Downing Cless – Associate Professor at Drama and Dance
Alva Couch – Associate Professor at Computer Science (CS)
Ming Y Chow – master student at CS