Theater and Spanish as tools for expression

Combating Ageism and producing subjectivity in Online Education

Abstract

This study explores the creative process behind the audio drama Los Ciegos, developed in an online theater course designed for teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language (ELE) to students over 60 years old, part of the “universIDADE” Active Aging program at Unicamp. The objective was to analyze how theater can restore creativity and critical thinking in individuals educated under positivist models, impacted by Cognitive Capitalism and the loss of “vibrant sensitivity.” The methodology employed an “Active Methodology” approach, integrating theater and Spanish teaching through gamification and cartographic ethnography inspired by Foucault’s Hypomnemata. Techniques from the Theater of the Oppressed (Boal) and Theater Games (Spolin) were used to foster otherness and creativity in an online environment. Maurice Maeterlinck’s symbolist play The Blind (1890) was adapted into an audio drama with participants who had never performed before, using improvisation and storytelling techniques to process their own life experiences. The results revealed significant transformations among participants, including heightened critical awareness regarding fake news, enhanced creativity, and reduced social isolation and ageism. Furthermore, participants achieved fluency in Spanish, with theater proving to be a powerful tool for expressing personal and collective stories. In conclusion, online theater combined with language teaching promotes the restoration of sensitivity and creativity in individuals aged 60+, combats ageism, and encourages the active creation of critical narratives in a digital context. The project aligns with the 4th United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, “Quality Education,” and proposes new approaches to Educommunication, where students become active creators of knowledge and narratives in an interconnected world.