Guerrilla theatre
Encyclopedia
Guerrilla theatre, or Guerrilla Performance, is a term coined in 1965 within the San Francisco Mime Troupe
to describe its performances, that in spirit of the Che Guevara
writings from which the term guerrilla is taken, were committed to "revolutionary sociopolitical change." The group performances, aimed against the Vietnam war
and Capitalism
, contained nudity
, profanity
and taboo
subjects that were shocking to some members of the audiences of the time.
Guerrilla (Spanish for "little war") describes the act of spontaneous, surprise performances in unlikely public spaces to an unsuspecting audience. Typically these performances intend to draw attention to a political/social issue through satire
, protest
, and carnivalesque techniques. Many of these performances were a direct result of the radical social movement
s circa 1967-69. Guerilla Theatre has been sometimes related to the agitprop theatre of the 1930s, but it is differentiated to agitprop by the inclusion of Dada performance tactics.
actions, which was first published in 1966. The term "guerrilla" was inspired by a passage in a 1961 Che Guevara
essay, which read:
Davis had studied mime
and modern dance in the 1950s and had discovered commedia dell'arte
. In autumn 1966 around 20 members of the San Francisco Mime Troupe broke off and started their own collective called the Diggers
, who took their name from a group of 17th century radicals in England.
(agitation-propaganda), carnival
, parades, pageants
, political protest, performance art
, happening
s, and, most notably, the Dada
movement and guerrilla art
. Although this movement is widely studied in Theatre History classrooms, the amount of research and documentation of "guerrilla theatre" is surprisingly lacking. The term, ìGuerrilla Theatreî seems to have emerged during the mid-1960s primarily as an upshot of radical activist theatres such as The Living Theatre
, San Francisco Mime Troupe
, Bread and Puppet Theatre, El Teatro Campesino
, and the Free Southern Theatre. It also shares considerable roots in Allan Kaprow
's "happenings".
The first widely documented Guerrilla Performances were under the leadership of Abbie Hoffman
and the Youth International Party
(Yippies). One of their most publicized events occurred on August 24, 1967 at the New York Stock Exchange
where Hoffman and other Yippies threw dollar bills to the brokers below. Creating a media frenzy, the event was publicized internationally. In his later publication, Soon to be a Major Motion Picture (1980), Hoffman refers to his television appearances with specially planned subversive tactics as "guerrilla theatre."
Another Guerrilla Performance that helped bring the term to wide acceptance was the Guerrilla Girls
. This group of feminist artist/activists was established in New York City in 1985 with the purpose of bringing attention to the lack of female artists in major art galleries and museum
s. The Guerrilla Girls began their work through guerrilla art tactics which broadened to include guerrilla theatre. Some common practices to their guerrilla theatre techniques that have been replicated by other groups include appearing in costume, using assumed names, and disguising their identity.
The legacy of guerrilla theatre can be seen in the work of these political/performance groups:
San Francisco Mime Troupe
The San Francisco Mime Troupe is a theatre of political satire which performs free shows in various parks in the San Francisco Bay Area and around California. The Troupe does not, however, perform silent mime, but each year creates an original musical comedy that combines aspects of Commedia...
to describe its performances, that in spirit of the Che Guevara
Che Guevara
Ernesto "Che" Guevara , commonly known as el Che or simply Che, was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, intellectual, guerrilla leader, diplomat and military theorist...
writings from which the term guerrilla is taken, were committed to "revolutionary sociopolitical change." The group performances, aimed against the Vietnam war
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and Capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
, contained nudity
Nudity
Nudity is the state of wearing no clothing. The wearing of clothing is exclusively a human characteristic. The amount of clothing worn depends on functional considerations and social considerations...
, profanity
Profanity
Profanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
and taboo
Taboo
A taboo is a strong social prohibition relating to any area of human activity or social custom that is sacred and or forbidden based on moral judgment, religious beliefs and or scientific consensus. Breaking the taboo is usually considered objectionable or abhorrent by society...
subjects that were shocking to some members of the audiences of the time.
Guerrilla (Spanish for "little war") describes the act of spontaneous, surprise performances in unlikely public spaces to an unsuspecting audience. Typically these performances intend to draw attention to a political/social issue through satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
, protest
Protest
A protest is an expression of objection, by words or by actions, to particular events, policies or situations. Protests can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass demonstrations...
, and carnivalesque techniques. Many of these performances were a direct result of the radical social movement
Social movement
Social movements are a type of group action. They are large informal groupings of individuals or organizations focused on specific political or social issues, in other words, on carrying out, resisting or undoing a social change....
s circa 1967-69. Guerilla Theatre has been sometimes related to the agitprop theatre of the 1930s, but it is differentiated to agitprop by the inclusion of Dada performance tactics.
Origins
The term Guerrilla Theatre was coined by Peter Berg, who in 1965 suggested it to R.G. Davis as the title of his essay on the San Francisco Mime TroupeSan Francisco Mime Troupe
The San Francisco Mime Troupe is a theatre of political satire which performs free shows in various parks in the San Francisco Bay Area and around California. The Troupe does not, however, perform silent mime, but each year creates an original musical comedy that combines aspects of Commedia...
actions, which was first published in 1966. The term "guerrilla" was inspired by a passage in a 1961 Che Guevara
Che Guevara
Ernesto "Che" Guevara , commonly known as el Che or simply Che, was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, intellectual, guerrilla leader, diplomat and military theorist...
essay, which read:
Davis had studied mime
Mime artist
A mime artist is someone who uses mime as a theatrical medium or as a performance art, involving miming, or the acting out a story through body motions, without use of speech. In earlier times, in English, such a performer was referred to as a mummer...
and modern dance in the 1950s and had discovered commedia dell'arte
Commedia dell'arte
Commedia dell'arte is a form of theatre characterized by masked "types" which began in Italy in the 16th century, and was responsible for the advent of the actress and improvised performances based on sketches or scenarios. The closest translation of the name is "comedy of craft"; it is shortened...
. In autumn 1966 around 20 members of the San Francisco Mime Troupe broke off and started their own collective called the Diggers
Diggers (theater)
The Diggers were a radical community-action group of activists and Improv actors operating from 1966–68, based in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco. Their politics were such that they have sometimes been categorized as "left-wing." More accurately, they were "community anarchists"...
, who took their name from a group of 17th century radicals in England.
Guerrilla theatre in practice
Guerrilla theatre shares its origins with many forms of political protest and street theatre including agitpropAgitprop
Agitprop is derived from agitation and propaganda, and describes stage plays, pamphlets, motion pictures and other art forms with an explicitly political message....
(agitation-propaganda), carnival
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
, parades, pageants
Pageants
Pageants is an indie rock duo formed in 2011 and based in Long Beach, California. Its members consist of Rebecca Coleman on vocals and guitar, high school friend Devin O'Brien on guitar, and occasionally Lia Braswell on Drums...
, political protest, performance art
Performance art
In art, performance art is a performance presented to an audience, traditionally interdisciplinary. Performance may be either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated; spontaneous or otherwise carefully planned with or without audience participation. The performance can be live or...
, happening
Happening
A happening is a performance, event or situation meant to be considered art, usually as performance art. Happenings take place anywhere , are often multi-disciplinary, with a nonlinear narrative and the active participation of the audience...
s, and, most notably, the Dada
Dada
Dada or Dadaism is a cultural movement that began in Zurich, Switzerland, during World War I and peaked from 1916 to 1922. The movement primarily involved visual arts, literature—poetry, art manifestoes, art theory—theatre, and graphic design, and concentrated its anti-war politics through a...
movement and guerrilla art
Street art
Street art is any art developed in public spaces — that is, "in the streets" — though the term usually refers to unsanctioned art, as opposed to government sponsored initiatives...
. Although this movement is widely studied in Theatre History classrooms, the amount of research and documentation of "guerrilla theatre" is surprisingly lacking. The term, ìGuerrilla Theatreî seems to have emerged during the mid-1960s primarily as an upshot of radical activist theatres such as The Living Theatre
The Living Theatre
The Living Theatre is an American theatre company founded in 1947 and based in New York City. It is the oldest experimental theatre group still existing in the U.S...
, San Francisco Mime Troupe
San Francisco Mime Troupe
The San Francisco Mime Troupe is a theatre of political satire which performs free shows in various parks in the San Francisco Bay Area and around California. The Troupe does not, however, perform silent mime, but each year creates an original musical comedy that combines aspects of Commedia...
, Bread and Puppet Theatre, El Teatro Campesino
Teatro Campesino
El Teatro Campesino , is a theatrical troupe founded in 1965 as the cultural arm of the United Farm Workers. The original actors were all farmworkers, and El Teatro Campesino enacted events inspired by the lives of their audience...
, and the Free Southern Theatre. It also shares considerable roots in Allan Kaprow
Allan Kaprow
Allan Kaprow was an American painter, assemblagist and a pioneer in establishing the concepts of performance art. He helped to develop the "Environment" and "Happening" in the late 1950s and 1960s, as well as their theory. His Happenings - some 200 of them - evolved over the years...
's "happenings".
The first widely documented Guerrilla Performances were under the leadership of Abbie Hoffman
Abbie Hoffman
Abbot Howard "Abbie" Hoffman was a political and social activist who co-founded the Youth International Party ....
and the Youth International Party
Youth International Party
The Youth International Party, whose members were commonly called Yippies, was a radically youth-oriented and countercultural revolutionary offshoot of the free speech and anti-war movements of the 1960s. It was founded on Dec. 31, 1967...
(Yippies). One of their most publicized events occurred on August 24, 1967 at the New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...
where Hoffman and other Yippies threw dollar bills to the brokers below. Creating a media frenzy, the event was publicized internationally. In his later publication, Soon to be a Major Motion Picture (1980), Hoffman refers to his television appearances with specially planned subversive tactics as "guerrilla theatre."
Another Guerrilla Performance that helped bring the term to wide acceptance was the Guerrilla Girls
Guerrilla Girls
Guerrilla Girls are an anonymous group of feminists devoted to fighting against sexism within the visual fine art world internationally. Started in New York City in 1985 to protest gender and racial inequality in the art world, members are known for the gorilla masks they wear to keep their...
. This group of feminist artist/activists was established in New York City in 1985 with the purpose of bringing attention to the lack of female artists in major art galleries and museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s. The Guerrilla Girls began their work through guerrilla art tactics which broadened to include guerrilla theatre. Some common practices to their guerrilla theatre techniques that have been replicated by other groups include appearing in costume, using assumed names, and disguising their identity.
The legacy of guerrilla theatre can be seen in the work of these political/performance groups:
- ACT UP
- Billionaires for BushBillionaires for BushBillionaires for Bush is a culture jamming political street theater organization that satirically purports to support George W. Bush for those activities which are perceived to benefit corporations and the super-wealthy...
- Billionaires for WealthcareBillionaires for WealthcareBillionaires for Wealthcare are a political Guerrilla theatre and culture jamming group that is satirically opposed to U.S. President Barack Obama's attempts at healthcare reform in the United States...
- Bread and Puppet Theatre
- Church Ladies for Choice
- The Church of Euthanasia
- Circus AmokCircus AmokCircus Amok is a New York City-based circus and theater troupe that produces free outdoor performances every year in the NYC parks. Founded in 1989 by performance artist Jennifer Miller, who directs the company, the troupe began touring the city parks annually in 1994...
- Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown ArmyClandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown ArmyThe Clandestine Insurgent Rebel Clown Army is a United Kingdom-based anti-authoritarian left-wing activist group that uses clowning and non-violent tactics to act against corporate globalisation, war, and on other issues....
- El Teatro Campesino
- Oil Enforcement Agency
- Reclaim the StreetsReclaim the StreetsReclaim The Streets is a collective with a shared ideal of community ownership of public spaces. Participants characterize the collective as a resistance movement opposed to the dominance of corporate forces in globalization, and to the car as the dominant mode of transport.-Protests:Reclaim The...
- Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop ShoppingReverend Billy and the Church of Stop ShoppingThe Church of Life After Shopping is an activist performance group based in New York City, led by Reverend Billy, the stage name of Bill Talen...
- San Francisco Mime TroupeSan Francisco Mime TroupeThe San Francisco Mime Troupe is a theatre of political satire which performs free shows in various parks in the San Francisco Bay Area and around California. The Troupe does not, however, perform silent mime, but each year creates an original musical comedy that combines aspects of Commedia...
- Welfare State InternationalWelfare State InternationalWelfare State International were an influential performance group based in the UK and founded in 1968 by John Fox and Sue Gill. Fox was, and remains, a vociferous proponent of 'celebratory theatre' and an anarchic, energetic and imaginative approach to creating theatre. In 2006 they felt the...
- Free Southern Theatre
Further reading
- Durland, Steven. "Witness: The Guerrilla Theatre of Greenpeace." Radical Street Performance. Jan Cohen-Cruz, ed. New York: Routledge, 1998, pp. 67–73.
- Hoffman, Abbie. "America Has More Television Sets Than Toilets." Radical Street Performance. Jan Cohen-Cruz, ed. New York: Routledge, 1998, pp. 190–195.