Chapter 5, Development of the Arena Theater of São Paulo, Goals of the Joker and Structures of the Joker Summary and Analysis

In Goals of the "Joker," Boal notes that the characteristics of theater arise from the conditions of the place and time in which it is created. Shakespeare's violent opening scenes were meant to capture the attention of rowdy audiences. Characteristics of the people determine the theater, but underdeveloped countries choose the theater of the mainstream, divorcing the theater from the people and culture. The "Joker" system is tied to the Brazil of the time, and presents both play and analysis together. Narrators sometimes fill this function throughout theater, giving commentary on the meaning of the play. "The Joker" is a narrator who is closer to...