Living Newspaper Theatre Troope Unrecognized

Mission Statement
Our inspiration for starting a Living Newspaper Theatre group comes from noticing the disconnect that exists in our generation from current events. We seek to create a performative space in Hampshire that fuels dialogue between artists, activists, and the entire Hampshire community about local and world news. Our first priority is to create a theatre group made up of a diverse group of people who have an interest in exploring the news at a physicalized, artistic level. We want to create a space through a theatrical platform to invite anybody who wants to participate at the level they choose. Through creating a space to explore this information physically and emotionally, we hope to provide an opportunity for individuals to develop a dialogue based on personal reactions towards the news. By creating a structured cell of critically engaged performers who are all working towards discovering alternative forms of communication, we hope to engage the community in a discussion about the current political climate. Eventually we want to bring our performance to public spaces on campus and begin to have regular performances.

OUR CURRENT ACTIVITIES:

Inspired by Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed techniques, we meet as a group one evening a week to discuss and act out current world events. This process, called Newspaper Theater, is an intense, compassionate, and playful exploration into what it means to embody the news, and the narratives of our society. How do we dramatize the suffering of others in an intentional and respectful way? What are the messages we are getting from the media? What are American newspapers saying? And how do these compare to the news of the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Latin America? What does it feel like to not only read the news, but become the news? Which stories and sides are we representing and why? These are some of the questions we ponder and engage with as a group. Students each week bring newspaper articles and from these we will work with how to bring them from the paper to the present moment. We will be doing this through games, movement exercises, improvisation, and discussion. We are currently in the first and preparatory phase of a longer-term project of performing the news on a weekly basis for the Hampshire community. From our development in this phase, we will then extend the discussion and begin a dialogue with the larger community. Through these performances, our aim will be to inform students about current events, stimulate dialogue, and inspire activism among the Hampshire student body. This group is entirely collaborative and is organized such that all group members have a equal voice and space the contribute their ideas and suggestions.