Aesthetics of Resistance in Theatre

Abstract

          “Aesthetics of Resistance” is the title of a long novel written by Peter Weiss, a German painter and writer. The story in the novel takes place between 1937–1942, a period often referred to as the darkest time in Europe. This novel is both an exploration of political history and ideology, as well as a work on aesthetic theory. In the Thai context, the person who first introduced this term was Thanom Chapakdee, an academic and art activist. He used it to refer to the belief that everyone has the right and freedom to express themselves. Since the state uses art as a political tool, the people’s artists also have the right to use art as a form of resistance.

          In theatre, the aesthetics of resistance have long been employed—ranging from the Greek comedy Lysistrata by Aristophanes, the 19^th century play A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, the Greek tragedy Antigone, which was adapted by Jean Anouilh and Bertolt Brecht into the context of political struggle in Europe, to the emergence of the concept and practice of "Theatre of the Oppressed" by Augusto Boal in the 20^th century. This article is thus a preliminary attempt to highlight the role of theatre within this framework, and to demonstrate that theatre has long employed the aesthetics of resistance.