Theater of the Oppressed: Empowering Homeless Women

Abstract

This article recounts the efficacy of Theatre of the Oppressed techniques in helping homeless women deal with the emotional wounds and chronic oppression they have experienced. The method empowered these women by highlighting their innate abilities. Based on more than one hundred sessions at the largest homeless shelter in New Haven, Connecticut, the author analyzes the usefulness of the various games and activities, with commentary on the alterations needed for the particular participants. Finally, the successes and the challenges faced in applications of Theatre of the Oppressed to this population are discussed.