the pieces of Forum Theater They start from a particular case (or failing that, from something coming from a dialogue with the reality that surrounds us, in relation to a specific topic) with the idea of asking questions of us, the spectators/spect-actors, about the structures that make things that arouse concern seem “normal”.
And of course, this is the case with Guts from Salamandra Cía. social theater, given that the characters of Gloria and Pablo are so credible in how they interact with each other, that one can relatively easily recognize the things we have heard so much about and have experienced in our own flesh, in order to give ourselves time to find the way to redirect them. In any case, when one of the spectators/spectator-actors has tried to reproduce on stage a proposal that has been raised in the forum, well, it exemplifies why it is sometimes unapproachable to change the dynamics to which we are all accustomed to carry out, or we have witnessed from the role of a “third person” (so to speak).
Even with everything, it is not a question of demobilizing anyone to transform the environment that surrounds them, nor of ceasing to recognize that many of the dynamics that have become hegemonic continue to be contingent. Or put another way: A Forum Theater piece, among other things, has the task of making us understand that the power that operates in each specific situation of our lives is capable of being transferred to a place where all people involved come together so that their survival and the development of their respective vital projects do not mean that in the process they pass over anyone. So that power resides in the capacity of those involved in the resolution of conflicts without any type of violence being exercised. While being aware that a possible confrontation with a another or some othersis an opportunity to transform the context in which it is located, directing one with whom we interact, towards a new scenario in which the starting logics are reconfigured.
Photo: Isa Mesa (IMM)
I do not mean by this that this “new situation” is going to be free of violence or of things that have to be readjusted (once their corresponding consequences are exposed), but at least a new experience has been passed in which has exercised with the use of tools that are designed to guarantee a more balanced coexistence between the human beings at stake. Let’s be frank, those of us who live in the so-called “western countries” are more or less familiar with the values that have inspired Human Rights; however, it is a tangible reality that its application has been unequal and even contradictory, among all the people who inhabit this planet. Moreover, the bases of the theories that would support a life worthy of every human being are known, but when it comes to generalizing it, it seems that there are those who in the end, let’s say, do not question what place they are occupying in the world.
This is precisely the case of the character he plays Paco CaroSo, Pablo is an individual who, far from having lived a comfortable life, has benefited from the fact that the character of Gloria (who is played by Patricia Turjillo) has been instilled in him that, no matter what, the issues of the home and the care of the daughter they have in common, have to be attended to almost at any cost. Although it is true that Gloria is not resigned to the fact that the things that happen between them as a couple and parents will be perpetuated over time. It is a fact that the formula that Gloria has used up to now has not ensured her having a relationship with Pablo in which fluid communication prevails, a balanced distribution of tasks, emotional responsibility with the other and with oneself, etc…
Who do you point to? Guts As a work that falls into clichés typical of feminist-inspired claims, I would tell you that those who make up this Andalusian company have managed to capture it in an intelligent, frontal and elegant way; a series of problems that many women embody in their day to day, to the point that they are forced to invest in health and star in oppressions that they will have refused to star in. Yes indeed, Patricia Trujillo and Paco Caro prevented Gloria’s character from being a victim both in the play and on the forumbecause said character fights tirelessly and carries with him a large amount of defeats. That is: Take into account that Gloria knows that since she met Pablo she should have set limits more firmly, in such a way that Pablo’s “blackmail” and belittlement (voluntary or involuntary) does not take place between them . However, Pablo behaves as if it weren’t such a big deal, as if they were things that happened once or twice, as if he wasn’t the only one in this world who makes mistakes…
Photo: Isa Mesa (IMM)
But, will there be someone who dares to “blame” Gloria for this flawed situation, which, on the other hand, would continue to legitimize this type of dynamic in her life and that of many other women? Perhaps, deep down, we are saying that Pablo does not give of his part in other areas, even if it is not “as evident”, as what Gloria gives of himself so that everything continues in operation? I think the most uplifting thing is to focus on not so much that both do exactly the same thing in response to their individual and shared responsibilities; but rather, in beginning to put in the center that with coordination, will and some creativity, the care of the other and of oneself can be pursued as an objective, consequently. And then it would be time to find the strategies so that these principles are not distorted in their practice. Even so, this would only be a starting point in which it will be necessary to continue exploring until the last of our days.
I say this more than anything because I believe that the complexity of this issue, among other things, settles down as long as it is revealed in a different way in each case, for this reason we must not act with moral superiority, or of any other type. Although it cannot be denied, we can identify the repeating patterns, and this is useful for us to try to prevent and reverse the most undesirable and unnecessary situations (this is the great value of methodologies such as the Forum Theater ). In parallel, I wonder if there really is someone after seeing Guts, he thinks that the desperate behavior of Pablo’s character is due to the fact that he is greater than the egoists and machos of this world; Or perhaps, this could only happen within cishetero-normative relations… Of course, we operate within a framework that urgently needs to be refounded, as well as that the “fissures” that we have found within the cishetero-patriarchal system will be most hopeful to put us at ease. work but here we are operating with variables that manifest themselves irregularly, when dealing with issues that involve the human condition (with all that this entails).
Photo: Isa Mesa (IMM)