eratory educator, Paulo Freire, author of the acclaimed Pedagogy of the Oppressed. At the Second Annual Pedagogy of the Oppressed Conference in Omaha in March 1996, both men appeared together on a public platform to reflect on liberatory education and to answer questions from an audience of around one thousand people. Because of their several necessary flights for personal and family safety during the 1960's -1980's, this co-appearance was the first time Augusto Boal and Paulo Freire shared a common public stage. Sadly, Paulo Freire passed away in early May, 1997. Said Boal: "I am very sad. I have lost my last father. Now all I have are brothers and sisters." The Third Annual Conference of Pedagogy & Theatre of the Oppressed was held in mid-May, 1997, where Boal led workshops in Forum Theatre. Several of the pieces developed kicked off the Conference with much interaction, reflection, action, and discussion from the conference attendees. Boal also concluded the Conference with an image exercise which amounted to a fascinating visual "critique" of the Conference itself.Legislative TheatreThough he lost his bid for re-election in the fall of 1996, while in office, Vereador Boal developed a Forum type of theatre -- which he called Legislative Theatre -- to work at the neighborhood level to identify the key problems in the city. Using the Forum concept, he employed the dynamics of theatre to discuss what kinds of legislation needed to be enacted to address community problems. The resulting discussions and demonstrations became the basis for actual legislation put forward by Boal in the Chamber of Vereadors. Current reports indicate that Boal is working diligently on a new book that will, as have the others, document this phase of Boal's ongoing activity.Boal in EnglandThe summer of 1997 found Boal in England where he worked with the world-renowned Royal Shakespeare Company. The RSC has asked Boal to employ his Rainbow of Desire techniques i...
