| dc.description.abstract |
This thesis examines the possibilities and limitations of theatre as a development
intervention by exploring its contested execution on the ground. Ethnographic investigations
compare NGO-directed “Theatre for Development” initiatives in Senegal to community-directed
theatre projects in Kenya. In Senegal, a theatre troupe’s implementation of top-down
theatre fails to align with the ideals of the participatory “forum theatre” approach
on which the troupe models itself. In Kenya, the process of creating forum theatre
uncovers problematic moral attitudes and replicates pre-existing power dynamics. Ultimately,
the thesis finds that successful theatre work is premised on strong relationships
between facilitators and participants and the ability to facilitate stories that contest
and challenge hegemonic versions of reality. Theory and practice align in the final
chapter, which provides actionable insights for hopeful and questioning practitioners
and practitioners-to-be.
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