Marc Weinblatt has been a professional educator, theatre director, activist, and workshop facilitator since 1980 having extensive experience with both adults and youth. An internationally recognized leader in the use of Augusto Boal’s renowned Theater of the Oppressed (T.O.) to stimulate community dialogue and social change, Marc has worked with diverse communities ranging from police to homeless youth, grassroots organizers and laborers to University deans. Internationally, he has worked with activists in Norway, Holland, and Canada, youth workers in Guatemala, refugees in Azerbaijan, ex-combatants in Northern Ireland, construction workers in South Africa, slum families in India, community workers in the Republic of Congo, and victims of war, among others, in Afghanistan. Marc was named “Cultural Envoy” by the U.S. State Department for his work in the Congo in spring 2010. Marc regularly facilitates T.O. based diversity / anti-oppression workshops in a wide variety of contexts across the U.S. with a commitment to bringing a deep sense of spirit and humanity into social justice work. He also directs the multi-generational Poetic Justice Theatre Ensemble which incorporates T.O. and Playback Theatre techniques to generate community dialogue on burning social issues. One of Augusto Boal’s “multipliers”, Marc has trained thousands of people in the use of Theatre of the Oppressed techniques through his classes and annual week-long intensive trainings since the early 1990′s. Marc is also a dedicated father of 4 beautiful boys. (bio from the Mandala Center for Change website: http://www.mandalaforchange.com/site/about-us/our-team/)
Theatre of Liberation, Act 1
In Part One: Theatre of Liberation, Marc shares his theatre background and outlines Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) and Playback Theatre (founded by Jo Salas and Jonathan Fox). He draws examples from his experience with homeless and lbgtq youth.
Theatre for Systematic Change, Act 2
In Part Two: Theatre for Systemic Change, Marc talks about his experiences with Forum Theatre and Legislative Theatre in addressing community issues. With over 30 years experience, Marc shows the successes, opportunities, and future vision of his theatre work
The Mandala Center for Change: “Founded in 1999, the Mandala Center is a multi-disciplinary arts education organization dedicated to community dialogue, social justice, and societal transformation.”
Read the article by Marc Weinblatt & Cheryl Harrison, “Theatre of the Oppressor: Working with Privilege Toward Social Justice,” pp. 21-21 in “Come Closer”: Critical Perspectives on Theatre of the Oppressed, eds. Toby Emert & Ellie Friedland (Peter Lang, 2011).
