Magnet Theatre: Involving Audiences and Encouraging Change

This document describes the methodology used by the Magnet Theatre Intervention developed by PATH to bring about behaviour change in communities. PATH has used Magnet Theatre to encourage community dialogue around HIV and AIDS, consequences of early marriage, and tuberculosis (TB) prevention and treatment. PATH has trained theatre troupes throughout Kenya in the Magnet Theatre process and HIV and AIDS technical content. Family Health International (FHI)’s IMPACT and Transport Corridor Initiative Projects, CARE, the Red Cross, PATH’s Scouting for Solutions project, and Kenya’s National Youth Service have all received training from PATH in Magnet Theatre. Staff from PATH’s Kenya office have also facilitated Magnet Theatre training workshops in Eritrea, Uganda, and India.

Excerpts from the document

“PATH’s Magnet Theatre intervention is designed to not only entertain and educate, but to involve audience members in the action and encourage the kind of participation and reflection that is key to sustained behavior change. Magnet Theatre is a form of community theatre that typically takes place in outdoor, public spaces. The hour-long performances explore issues affecting a community and encourage discussion and problem solving with audience members. The actors perform a drama that presents a dilemma based on community issues. The audience participates by offering suggestions to the characters or by taking the place of an actor and acting out solutions to the dilemma. Magnet Theatre encourages audience members to discuss solutions and allows them to experiment in a safe environment, to encourage individual and community-wide change. Magnet Theatre is different from other forms of community theatre because it targets and attracts a specific and repeat audience, takes place at a regular time at a specific venue, and serves as a forum for magnification of behavior change.”

”PATH’s Magnet Theatre has the following unique steps to ensure its effectiveness:

• The troupe identifies a problem in the community (through an open discussion with the audience, observation, or questions asked during performances), develops a relevant script and rehearses the drama;
• The troupe attracts the audience to the performance site;
• The performance is enacted and frozen at a key dramatic moment;
• Audience members actively participate by either: asking the character questions to better understand the dilemma, suggesting what the character should do, or physically taking the place of an actor and acting out the decision;
• An open discussion follows where solutions and suggestions continue to be explored. Audience members have the opportunity to share their views and experiences related to the issue being discussed;
• After the performance a guest speaker, performer, or person who has changed behavior can present to the audience;
• A post-performance discussion with a few audience members, the facilitator, and troupe members takes place. Future performance topics are identified based on participants’ questions and comments; and
• Theatre troupe members identify and support magnification candidates and people considering behavior change.”