Legislative Theater

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In legislative theater, communities, advocates and policymakers work together, to identify, develop, and build support for new legislation. Through interactive theater productions, community members explore and act out solutions to situations of oppression, then work with officials to translate these solutions into new laws. Originating in Brazil in 1992, legislative theater has been used around the world to develop creative solutions for issues such as housing access, climate justice and workers’ rights.

Plan your legislative theater process

WATCH an original play based on community members’ lived experiences and problems.

ACT on stage to intervene in the play and test ways to address the problems presented.

PROPOSE policy changes to address the problems, and deliberate together with policymakers.

VOTE on the policy proposals that emerge from the plays, and make collective commitments to action.

Legislative Theater in Action

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

This article examines the origins of legislative theater during Augusto Boal's service as a member of the local parliament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

New York City, United States

Short video from the first iteration of Legislative Theatre in New York City (2013), demonstrating some of the process.

Manchester, United Kingdom

This video features highlights of legislative theatre events that brought community members together to address homelessness in Manchester, England.

Assembleia da República de Portugal

What was this project about? How could we use forum theatre to discuss the legislative changes that are needed in higher education? How did it...

We say it a lot but this really is doing things differently. Challenge, creativity, comedy: all in the name of policy making.

- Molly Bishop, strategic lead for homelessness, Greater Manchester Combined Authority

The policy discussion in city hall can sometimes become abstract, and it’s so important to connect what we discuss in the abstract to the real. An important part of legislative theater performance is to demonstrate that there are consequences to the laws we pass, and how they affect people’s lives.

- Steve Levin, New York City Council member

Featured Resources

How does legislative theater work?

This brief video captures the legislative theater process, based on four experiences to address homelessness in the United Kingdom.

CulturePlanB podcast: Katy Rubin

In this 40-minute podcast, Lora Krasteva of Untrained Effort talks to Katy Rubin, one of the world's leading practitioners of Legislative Theatre.

Legislative Theater report (NYC)

A report that explains how Theatre of the Oppressed practices have been applied to raise awareness of pertinent issues of oppression, shift the minds of...

How Democracy Pioneers amplified the voice of young Glaswegians in the climate conversation

In this blog post, legislative theater leader Katy Rubin reflects on her experience working with residents to engage policymakers on climate change through theater in...

More Resources

Sample Playbook

Review key design questions that you will need to answer to plan a legislative theater program, and sample answers to these questions. To create a plan that works for your situation, start your own legislative theater playbook. The playbook will walk you through the most important questions to answer when designing a process. Each step of the way, we will share recommended options and information to help you decide. At the end, you will have a plan for your process.