Two Videos of a Discussion and a Theatrical Performance by ASHTAR Theatre in Iraqi Kurdistan, 2014

Two video clips featuring a discussion and a theatrical performance directed and trained by Edward Muallem and performed in 2014 in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, in cooperation with ASHTAR Theatre and the Theatre of the Oppressed Program. The Theatre of the Oppressed (or T.O.) is a theatrical form that allows audiences to go from passive receivers into active participants and become a part of the theatrical work by presenting cases to implement on stage during an interactive segment between the performers and the audience. The value of the Theatre of the Oppressed lies in being a platform for discussion between audiences and people in charge of the theatrical action; audiences experience elements of change within themselves, as they face against the obstacles that stand in the way of solutions in the real world; therefore, allowing them to build physical as well as cognitive reactions.