Over the past few months I have been spending many hours exploring and learning through Theatre of the Oppressed (T.O.). It resonates with me in ways I could not have predicted and in ways I do not fully understand just yet. Today I am grateful for this time, this learning, this glimpse of a path that I start to see before me. “Caminante no hay camino sino estelas en la mar.” (Antonio Machado- Wanderer, there is no path but wakes in the sea.)

Somehow from a variety of interests, a sense of direction that I have not felt in a long time has started to emerge. Between Quaker meeting, T.O., self-directed learning, and bike co-op for Ry, there are some definite themes. There is a strong sense of cooperative effort and yet I find myself more sure of my individual voice. There is less capitalism, less hierarchy, less rigid structure and this means there is more room for collective energy, branching out, and open-endedness.

T.O. Philly has four agreements to each workshop. The first three are similar to agreements that I have seen in contact improv, and the fourth would be applicable as well:

stay engaged

experience discomfort

speak your own truth

expect and accept non-clousure

I plan to reflect in this space about each of the four agreements, and the surprise fifth agreement that often pops up. Any guesses which of the four is the most challenging for me personally?