Collective creation in popular comedy: an experience of teaching theater with elementary school teenagers.
Collective Creation, Popular Comedy, Theater Education, Creativity.
This dissertation is a case study of a practical experience in collective creation of popular comedy plays carried out with middle school students (Fundamental II) from Escola Municipal Desembargador Silvino Bezerra Neto, located in the municipality of Parnamirim, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The main objective is to investigate how this process can contribute to the development of theatrical practice, drawing on elements of popular comedy such as improvisation, typification, and critical humor, exploring their pedagogical and artistic potential. This is a qualitative and descriptive research (Thiollent, 2014), whose main references include Boal (2008), Spolin (1979), Freire (2005), Abreu (1997), Carrico (2004), and Araújo (2008). The process valued the exchange of ideas, experimentation, and the participants’ protagonism, enabling them to appropriate comedic elements and contribute their personal perspectives. Thus, the aim was to enhance students’ skills in improvisation, foster greater creative engagement, and promote a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of comicity in theatrical construction. In addition, the project sought to strengthen participants’ sense of interaction, providing an enriching experience both artistically and educationally.