Catherine Decastel (FR) - Can the effects of some documentary theatre projects in stimulating certain social processes be visible?

Coming to Terms With the Past, acceptance, sensitisation, polemization

Documentary theatre is, in ist essence, a melting of liveshow and documentary work. It evokes a real fact or event historian eyes, in order to understand the facts.

And facts are indeed what is shared on stage during the show. More than journalism, theatre to life the the facts it evokes and works as a complement for traditional information sources, to touch the public and transmit a sense of revolt or raise a question of our time.

The theatre to gathers human beings in a single same space and same time to talk about human nature.

The notion of advocacy and education is inherent to this moment of share, for engaged artists bring a message. From this message, that the public can take home, debate and reflexion can arise. The public remains free to accept or refuse this proposal, but since people come to see the show, they now can’t escape thinking about it. Therefore, this face-to-face between artists and public will necesserarily bring about a debate.

Thus, the fusion of these two distinct aspects (sharing moment in real time for theater and sharing knowledge and asking for documentary) is what allows documentary theater to be anchored in reality and to promote social, historical or political progress.