Games for Actors and Non-Actors

Text book at its best… ugh!  Having received an MFA in Theatre I wondered whether Games for Actors and Non-Actors by Augosto Boal would be a helpful read or not.  Hmmm… I will say the brief introduction to the various methods of acting contexts (Theatre of the Oppressed, Image Theatre, and the Forum Theatre) were blasts from the pasts for me but other than that, I have to say I was surprised by a number of things, mostly that this would be someone’s favorite book.  My wife actually asked me: do you think some RAs just look in their book bag before meeting with you to think of a favorite book?  It wasn’t until I finished the “Games” book that I now actually think it is possible.  Since I do feel beholden to give a brief summary for the books, so you may not want to take the time to read the entire book, I’ll ruin the surprise on this one….  I guess there is some level of value to the book in that the “games” suggested might be fun at a family gathering, or a RA training, or a dinner party.  Maybe the one that people place their butts next to each other and share “energy” or the “Murder at the Hotel Agato” game… isn’t that the mystery dinner game?  Sense memory of touch, smell, remembrance activities, the image and the object, the mirror sequence, and the list goes on and on.   Don’t get me wrong, this could be really helpful for an aspiring actor, or better yet, a director in attempting to move an actor from one place to another, but…. some of the exercises, or should I be more explicit, the variations on the exercises were pretty trite.  Helpful to acting students but for the general reader, take a major pass.  There are some funny pictures of actors performing some of the exercises, so pick up the book if you see it on a shelf (pg. 61 has the butt to butt exercise).  Take a pass on this one!