Making a Difference

I just read "Activism with Heart: The Voices Against Violence Project" and I am so excited that someone has decided to actually do something about violence rather than just sit around and talk about what they are going to do about it. Geeta Cowlagi knew she needed to do something about the rising violence, so she looked to Augusto Boal for his techniques in his Theatre of the Oppressed. Canavan does a marvelous job of portraying the meaningful input Cowlagi has on students, co-workers, and leaders in the communities around her as she puts into practice Boal's ideas of meaningful theatre. I believe this type of performance is important. It allows people to see difficult situations, the choices being made, and the consequences that follow played out in drama form first. If this same or similar situation occurs in the spectator's life, they will be able to handle it with better understanding of the choices they have. This form of theater would be a great way for students to learn about bullying since it is a rising occurrence around the United States. It should be placed in all schools as a way to demonstrate many unknowns about bullying.