Giving Voice

This book is a practical guide for using the power of theatre to address issues of oppression in areas such as race, ethnicity, LGBTQ+, gender, and sexual harassment. Giving Voice charts a roadmap for the process of establishing a troupe, including auditioning members, utilizing authentic source material, directing rehearsals, guiding mindful growth among troupe members, and facilitating an inclusive forum environment. Rooted in Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Opressed and using the nationally recognized Missouri State University's Giving Voice troupe as a model, this book provides guidance for customizing the program's principles to meet the needs of your school, community, organization, or business. Giving Voice forums bring professional development to a new level. Applications include diversity and cultural awareness training in educational settings for students, staff, faculty, and administrators, as well as those in non-profit and for-profit organizations. This book provides a powerful and proven approach to creating a truly inclusive climate. It is a guidebook for accessible use in the secondary and university setting in theatre and performance studies. It has also been shown to be effective for businesses and other organizations.

Carol J Maples is a professor and theatre director at Missouri State University, USA. She is the Director of Giving Voice, a nationally recognized interactive theatre troupe that addresses various issues of diversity, oppression, and micro-aggressions. She is recipient of Missouri State University's Foundation Award for Service and an Outstanding Advising Certificate of Merit at the National Academic Advising Association's Global Awards Ceremony.

1. Introduction 2. Choosing the Troupe 3. Training the Ensemble 4. Script Development 5. Character Development 6. Forum Facilitation 7. Phase I: Scenario 8. Phase II: Talkback 9. Phase III: Intervention 10. Title IX 11. Audience Impact 12. Giving Voice Evolving 13. Troupe Members 14. Conclusions