Popular theatre \u2013 sometimes called guerrilla theatre, community theatre, participatory theatre or theatre of the oppressed \u2013 is a genre of theatre that gears performances towards engaging the working class and marginalized communities in the arts. Ultimately, the goal of popular theatre is to serve as a tool for open dialogue and social transformation. The Anam\u00fa theatre collective was founded by a group of theatre students at the University of Puerto Rico- Rio Piedras in 1970. Though not a theatre student, Alvan connected quickly with the group, becoming himself a co-founder of Anam\u00fa. In the midst of Puerto Rico\u2019s colonial status, the political persecution of its independence activists and the augmenting crisis of inequality, Anam\u00fa sought to give voice to the island\u2019s marginalized communities through theatre. Furthermore, they sought to find solutions. In the collective\u2019s manifesto (displayed below), Anam\u00fa stated: \u201cIt is our fundamental objective that theatre, like any other artistic expression, not only help explain our reality, but also to transform it\u201d.<\/p>\n
[aesop_audio hidden=”off” loop=”on” viewend=”off” viewstart=”off” src=”https:\/\/performingartslegacy.org\/colonlespier\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2019\/01\/Popular-Theatre.m4a” title=”Popular Theatre”]\n
Alvan reflects on his work in popular theatre and how it has influenced him as an artist.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n [aesop_audio hidden=”off” loop=”on” viewend=”off” viewstart=”off” src=”https:\/\/performingartslegacy.org\/colonlespier\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2019\/01\/Art-and-Politics.m4a” title=”Art and Politics in Puerto Rico”]\n How Alvan\u2019s political experience affected his theatrical experience.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n [aesop_image overlay_revealfx=”off” revealfx=”off” force_fullwidth=”off” lightbox=”on” captionposition=”center” caption=”The official statement of purpose by the Anam\u00fa Collective” align=”center” imgwidth=”50%” img=”https:\/\/performingartslegacy.org\/colonlespier\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2019\/01\/Alvan-Manifiesto-Anamu\u0301.jpg” panorama=”off”]\n [aesop_image overlay_revealfx=”off” revealfx=”off” force_fullwidth=”off” lightbox=”on” captionposition=”center” caption=”Outline of the group’s structure, functions, and objectives” align=”center” imgwidth=”50%” img=”https:\/\/performingartslegacy.org\/colonlespier\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2019\/01\/Alvan-Anamu\u0301-1.jpg” panorama=”off”]\n [aesop_image overlay_revealfx=”off” revealfx=”off” force_fullwidth=”off” lightbox=”on” captionposition=”center” caption=”Outline of the group’s structure, functions, and objectives” align=”center” imgwidth=”50%” img=”https:\/\/performingartslegacy.org\/colonlespier\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/102\/2019\/01\/Alvan-Anamu\u0301-2.jpg” panorama=”off”]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Popular theatre \u2013 sometimes called guerrilla theatre, community theatre, participatory theatre or theatre of the oppressed \u2013 is a genre of theatre that gears performances towards engaging the working class and marginalized communities in the arts. Ultimately, the goal of popular theatre is to serve as a tool for open dialogue and social transformation. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":106,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-155","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"metadata":{"_edit_lock":["1555564059:106"],"_edit_last":["106"],"_wpac_members_redirect_to":[""],"_wpac_show_in_search":["0"],"_wpac_show_excerpt_in_search":["0"],"_wpac_nonmembers_redirect_to":[""],"ase_map_component_start_point":["a:2:{s:3:\"lat\";d:29.76;s:3:\"lng\";d:-95.38;}"]},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n