In this research, we explore the conceptual structure of social theater, focusing theoretically on the dialectics of concepts and their origins between philosophy and theater. The first part of the research is titled “From Political Theater Concepts to Social Theater Concepts,” where we define the conceptual foundations of contemporary political theater through dialectics as a philosophical concept that transitions into theatrical action, becoming a mechanism and approach within epic theater through Bertolt Brecht and Arvind Gauri Bescatoor.
The research begins by laying the groundwork that allows us to deconstruct social theater historically, aiming to establish a critical space that serves as an educational platform within social theater as an aesthetic discipline, bridging the gap between text and performance and their respective components.
Through the research, we also aim to identify the political necessity that led to the establishment of social theater in Tunisia, tracing its stages from the experience of “Mouqawer Theater” to “Jitou Theater” and finally to the “Nashatoun Fannon” experience, passing through the experience of the “Popular University”.
We observe through these experiences that the possibility of establishing social theater took on a Tunisian and interactive approach with its unique theatrical mechanisms.
Furthermore, we move from studying the chronological experiences of social theater in Tunisia to a theoretical-historical analysis, exploring the connection between the social theater experience in Tunisia and the political events and transformations that characterized the period from 2011 to the present day. The revolutionary political climate was able to raise significant questions about the relationship between Tunisian theater and the emergence of new protest forms and manifestations.
The experience of social theater led by Ayoub El Jouadi is seen as an intellectual and artistic reservoir that has the potential to save Tunisian theater from the structural constraints imposed by the political authority for an entire century.
The different stages of the social theater experience have contributed to opening up opportunities for Tunisian and foreign theater practitioners, aiming to establish a theatrical bridge based on the ability to communicate with the audience through various mechanisms. This enables the audience to become active participants in the social sphere, capable of questioning, deconstructing, and effecting change.
Through this research, we emphasize the necessity of understanding the current historical context in order to deepen the uniqueness of the social theater experience and its openness to the public sphere. This is achieved by focusing on the transformative and rebellious theatrical effects that go beyond the conventional space of the theater, but rather invade the spectator’s space and attempt to engage them with the values of the revolution, enabling it to become a daily reality.
The social theater experiment led by Ayoub El Jouadi in the capital city has also sought to establish a theatrical space that caters to the youth, which is a key target audience for social theater. This aims to expand its horizons to encompass aesthetics related to theater as a social mechanism, as well as cinematic imagery and music.
Through his experimental journey, Ayoub El Jouadi, the theater practitioner, has embarked on a political and activist path, which has led him to the aesthetics of social theater. This allowed him to construct a new and different trajectory within Tunisian theater, with the intention of listening to the voices of marginalized communities and reviving the artistic inclination within them.
The trajectory of social theater, in its entirety, has been able to create different theatrical colors that reconcile with the theater practitioners and their passionate, explosive, and vibrant audiences within the theatrical and public spaces.
We believe that studying the trajectory of social theater is necessary in order to build a theatrical memory that is organically linked to the political moments characterized by a rapid rhythm. In these moments, the experience of social theater was able to intertwine with and contribute aesthetically and theatrically to add uniqueness to our political history today.
Furthermore, we engage in a process of composition for the experience in order to focus on its functions, challenges, and its adaptability to the new generation, which is characterized by its unique differences and openness to technology and the virtual world. The trajectory of social theater, with its abundance of mechanisms, prepares itself to accommodate and work alongside this generation, aiming to create a Tunisian theatrical initiative capable of changing the direction of confinement, frustration, and despair towards a theatrical interaction that can leave a beautiful impact on the souls of the Tunisian youth. It also aims to support Tunisian theater towards possible horizons for art and its role in liberating humanity.
