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Political theatre is drama or performing art which emphasizes a political issue or issues in its theme or plot. Overt forms of political theatre, include the works of Bertolt Brecht and the street theatre of the San Francisco Mime Troupe, ROiL to name two examples. However, political theatre can also be defined as exploring themes more universal and central to society itself, especially when that society defines itself as politically conscious. One can say that the earliest Western dramas, arising out of the polis, or democratic city-state of Greek society, were political theatre to the most extreme degree. Their being performed in the main amphitheatres, central arenas used for theatrical performances, religious ceremonies and political gatherings, gave them a ritualistic and social significance that enhanced the relevance of the political issues being examined. And one must marvel at the open-minded examination of controversial and critical topics that took place right in the political heart of Athenian society, allowing a courageous self-examination of the first democracy trying to develop and refine itself further. Image File history File links Wiki_letter_w. ... Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The San Francisco Mime Troupe is a group of political, satirical actors, who perform free shows in various parks in the San Francisco Bay Area and around California. ... Staging a Revolution: Interactive Workshops on Theatre and Social Change by ROiL, a national performance art troupe, representing Ithaca, NY, Portland, ME, and New Orleans, LA. Other projects include the Veterans Truth Project Live theatre has a long and distinguished tradition as a vehicle for the voices of the marginalized... A polis (πολις) — plural: poleis (πολεις) — is a city, or a city-state. ... A city-state is a region controlled exclusively by a city. ... For other uses, see Athens (disambiguation). ...

Shakespeare can also be called an author of political theatre. Not only do his history plays examine the machinations of personal drives and passions determining political activity, but many of the tragedies such as King Lear and Macbeth examine the essence of political leadership or lack thereof, and the incredible complexity of the subterfuge of which human beings are capable when they become driven by the lust for power. Class struggle in the Roman Republic is central to Coriolanus. William Shakespeare&#8212;born April 1564; baptised April 26, 1564; died April 23, 1616 (O.S.), May 3, 1616 (N.S.)&#8212;has a reputation as the greatest of all writers in English. ... King Lear and the Fool in the Storm by William Dyce (1806-1864) King Lear is generally regarded as one of William Shakespeares greatest tragedies. ... Scene from Macbeth, depicting the witches conjuring of an apparition in Act IV, Scene I. Painting by William Rimmer This article is on the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare. ... Class struggle is class conflict looked at from a Marxist, libertarian socialist, or anarchist perspective. ... This article is becoming very long. ... Gaius Marcius Coriolanus is widely believed to be a legendary figure who is said to have lived during the 5th century BC. He was given the agnomen Coriolanus as a result of his action in capturing the Volscian town of Corioli in 493 BC. Venturia at the Feet of Coriolanus...

In later centuries, political theatre has usually been marginalized, forced into an outsider role critical of the government or policies of its own country. Associated with the cabaret and folk theatre, it has had an aura of being a theatre of, by, and for the people, and has flourished in oppressive governments as a means of actual underground communication and spreading of critical thought. And often it has been used to promote specific political theories or ideals, for example in the way agitprop was used to further Marxism and the development of communist society. But marxist theater wasn't always that simple. Bertolt Brecht developed a new aesthetics, called the epic theater, to address the spectator in a more rational way. Brecht's aesthetics has influenced political playwrights throughout the world, especially in India and Africa. In the sixties playwrights like Peter Weiss wrote plays closely based on historical documents like the proceedings of the Auschwitz trial in Frankfurt. Augusto Boal created his internationally acclaimed method of Theatre of the Oppressed to further social change. Cabaret is a form of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue — a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting around the tables (often dining or drinking) watching the performance. ... Agitprop poster by Vladimir Mayakovsky. ... Marxism refers to the philosophy and social theory based on Karl Marxs work on one hand, and to the political practice based on Marxist theory on the other hand (namely, parts of the First International during Marxs time, communist parties and later states). ... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Epic theater, also known as theater of alienation or theater of politics, is a theater movement arising in the early to mid-20th century, inextricably linked to the German playwright Bertolt Brecht. ... Peter Weiss (November 8, 1916 - May 10, 1982) was a German writer, painter and artist. ... Augusto Boal (born 1931 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is an innovative and influential theatrical director, writer and politician. ...

Less radical versions of political theater have joined the modern classical repertory - such as the critical dramas of Arthur Miller (The Crucible, All My Sons), which ask political questions that are inseparable from existential issues involving the behavior of human beings as social and political animals. In this sense they again approach the holistic universal relevance of the early Greek political drama. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Cover of the acting edition The Crucible is a play that was written by Arthur Miller in 1952. ... All My Sons (1948) VHS All My Sons is the name of a 1947 play by Arthur Miller, a 1948 movie based on the play, and a 1986 made-for-TV movie, also based on the play. ... The term Political Drama can be used in several senses. ...

A new form of political theatre emerged in the twentieth century with feminist authors like Elfriede Jelinek or Caryl Churchill who use nonrealistic techniques. Feminism is a diverse collection of social theories, political movements and moral philosophies, largely motivated by or concerned with the experiences of women. ... Elfriede Jelinek (born 20 October 1946) is an Austrian feminist playwright and novelist. ... Caryl Churchill (born September 3, 1938) is an English writer of stage plays known for her use of non-realistic techniques and feminist themes. ...

The Iraq War and the "War On Terror", have spawned a revival in British political drama. In recent post-9/11 times, Playwrights such as David Hare, Mark Ravenhill, David Edgar, Komedy Kollective, and Arnold Wesker, have helped revive the UK political scene with a heady mixture of political observation and astute satirical interplay.

Political theatre not only provides entertainment for an audience, but it also informs the audience of differing opinions of the political topic (E.P.I.C, shaya)

Further reading

• Charlotte Canning, Working from experience : a history of feminist theater in the United States, 1969 to the present, Seattle, Univ. of Washington, Diss., 1991
• Erika Fischer-Lichte, Theatre, sacrifice, ritual : exploring forms of political theatre, London: Routledge, 2005
• Dimple Godiwala, Breaking the bound