Talking to the Audience: Shakespeare, Performance, Self Book

Boal, a man who truly understands the balance between artistry and education, provides an excellent set of instructive methods for theatre practitioners, or indeed, any one interested in using theatre to help colleagues, friends or patients, access difficult elements within their own natures.

While I can't speak to this book's validity as a text for artistic therapy, I can say that reading this book sparked such a desire to teach and see these exercises in practice, that it was all I could do not to walk up to random people on side walks and say: "excuse me, do you feel like playing a little game called 'Analogy'?" But then I remembered that such educator related neuroses probably would not be looked upon favorably by those who renew my teaching license.

Still, the strength of Boal lies in his gentle, considerate guidance. The same manners he used in running his own workshops are on display in the text here. He doesn't mandate obedience to the forms, but rather offers assistance. Any teacher who hopes to help students on their way to greater artistry could benefit from a review of Boal's methods.