La Casita presents a free workshop on theatre and social change
Participants will learn to use theatre as a catalyst for social reform
The La Casita Cultural Center, 109 Otisco St., Syracuse, will present an introductory workshop on the use of theatre as a means for social change on Saturday, Jan. 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The workshop is free and open to adults as well as college and high-school students. No theatre experience is necessary. To register, please e-mail La Casita.
Stephen Cross, assistant professor of theater in Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts, will facilitate the workshop, which will emphasize the work of Augusto Boal, creator of The Theatre of the Oppressed.
“The full-day workshop will engage people in the practice and theory of theatre as a catalyst for social reform and community development,” Cross says. “The work is energizing, analytical, and creative. No theatre background is needed for people to participate.”
Cross says one of the goals of the workshop is to empower community organizers to incorporate theatre processes into their programs. “This kind of theatre is about cultural democracy,” he says. “I am confident people working in any kind of program—education, health, employment, literacy, children, youth, seniors, recreation—will discover how theatre can support their daily work.”
Cross holds an M.F.A. from Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre and is a member of the Actors' Equity Association. He is the founder and artistic director of the Irondale Ensemble Project in Canada, where he initiated the Irondale School for Ensemble Theatre. He has worked as an actor and director in regional theaters in Canada and the United States, off-Broadway, and at the Stratford Festival in Canada. He has an extensive background in ensemble-theater and community-based arts practice.
About La Casita
La Casita is a vibrant cultural, artistic, and educational center supported by Syracuse University’s College of Arts and Sciences and the Office of the Chancellor. The Center is committed to promoting and documenting the arts and culture of Central New York’s Latino/Latin American community through collaborative programming in the visual and expressive arts, education, and community activism.
Stephen Cross, assistant professor of theater in Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts, will facilitate the workshop, which will emphasize the work of Augusto Boal, creator of The Theatre of the Oppressed.
“The full-day workshop will engage people in the practice and theory of theatre as a catalyst for social reform and community development,” Cross says. “The work is energizing, analytical, and creative. No theatre background is needed for people to participate.”
Cross says one of the goals of the workshop is to empower community organizers to incorporate theatre processes into their programs. “This kind of theatre is about cultural democracy,” he says. “I am confident people working in any kind of program—education, health, employment, literacy, children, youth, seniors, recreation—will discover how theatre can support their daily work.”
Cross holds an M.F.A. from Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre and is a member of the Actors' Equity Association. He is the founder and artistic director of the Irondale Ensemble Project in Canada, where he initiated the Irondale School for Ensemble Theatre. He has worked as an actor and director in regional theaters in Canada and the United States, off-Broadway, and at the Stratford Festival in Canada. He has an extensive background in ensemble-theater and community-based arts practice.
About La Casita
La Casita is a vibrant cultural, artistic, and educational center supported by Syracuse University’s College of Arts and Sciences and the Office of the Chancellor. The Center is committed to promoting and documenting the arts and culture of Central New York’s Latino/Latin American community through collaborative programming in the visual and expressive arts, education, and community activism.
Media Contact
Judy Holmes