Theatre for Social Change: An Art Form and Life Philosophy

For my fourth informational interview, I had the privilege of speaking with another UR professor renowned in her field: Dr. Patricia Herrera, who has dedicated her life to Theatre for Social Change as an art form and life philosophy. This week’s essay will discuss the ways in which this field is very progressive, and leadership can be found in all areas of organizations committed to creating theatre for social change. Furthermore, while the internal dynamics of organizations like these are intriguing, much of our conversation centered around the relationship between this form of theatre and the “outside world”. How does theatre for social change affect those involved and also those who are viewers or other community beneficiaries?

At the beginning of her graduate school experience, Dr. Herrera was also working with three community theatre organizations in New York City. In each of these organizations, she engaged with community youth to use the arts as a vehicle for social justice and equity. One of the organizations focused on taking one-act plays—on the subjects of sexual assault, bullying, emotional wellness, self-confidence, etc.—to public schools in the area. While she tackled her Ph.D. classes that covered theatre history and theory, she spent the rest of her time at these professional community theatres, being a part of the “action”, or the “practice” element of what she learned in her courses.

Another one of her theatre jobs allowed her to work with youth to put on a play based on the history of the Lower East Side tenements at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. Based on true stories of immigrant families that once lived in the building where the museum stood, the students created their own piece of theatre that they performed not only for museum visitors for several weeks but also had the chance to take on tour/to conferences. This was a little part of history that not many people knew, but she saw how the students who worked on it as well as the public were able to receive this vital history lesson through theatre. They became activists, sharing the immigrant experience through the shared empathy required to create and execute the play. They were empowered by these stories while also empowering audience members.

This reminds me of Petty’s concept of the Central route to persuasion. This concept refers to the motivation and ability it requires for individuals to be able to process arguments. Over time, this idea suggests that an attitude change results from a person’s careful consideration of information that reflects a person’s feelings. Simply put, the personal relevance of the subject increases for the person and they are better able to process arguments. I feel like theatre is a prime example of this. Being able to watch an experience taking place before your eyes in a way that is so realistic and vivid helps people personalize issues/experiences, even ones they have not actually come in contact with before or with cultures and people they have never encountered. After one has begun to internalize and personalize these stories, they can begin to accept them and their place in our society because they intrinsically make sense to them.

In this vein, I wonder… if during police officer training they were required to watch a play that depicted an officer putting his knee on a man like George Floyd (like we all saw in the 8 minute-46-second video), would this reduce or prevent instances of police brutality? Could this put things into context for them? Or if we had more stories like that in theatre, would white Americans have acted sooner on issues of race and racism in our country? Would our latitude of acceptance (as Petty refers to it) be wider, allowing Americans to believe people of color instead of justifying our country’s racist acts and policies? I’m not entirely sure, but I know that stories like those that happened to George Floyd were so revolutionary and meaningful because many people did not know events such as these were still occurring in our country. I think that theatre, and film and television as well, have more of a significant impact than we think on our culture and society, and after my conversation with Dr. Herrera, I believe that they can be changing the conversation and transforming ideologies with their simple gift of sharing different perspectives of the human experience. The stakes are simultaneously very low—as one can passively watch a play—and very high, considering that compassion and empathy are necessary if we want to create change.

“The pandemic further amplifies all of the -isms that exist in our society today: health disparities, education disparities, poverty, mental health, unemployment… everything is interconnected,” Dr. Herrera shared. In my opinion, storytelling and theatre have a magic way of putting these pieces together and demonstrating for people, in an hour or two, different ways in which they can fit. She concluded by stating that, “We are all in trauma right now… and empathy and compassion are going to become so important.” I’m convinced that theatre is a great tool to utilize when dealing with and healing from the national and global trauma that currently plagues us.