Goal
The format aims to lay open the simplification mechanisms of populism and then gradually reintroduce complexity and a plurality of perspectives in a way the audience can digest.
Theoretical basis
The format uses the populism triangle developed by political scientist Marcel Lewandowsky. The populism triangle is a model used to analyse the structures of populist movements and parties. It has three core components: anti-establishment stance, people-centrism, and exclusion. The anti-establishment stance is characterised by clear opposition to "those at the top" — the established political elites and institutions. People-centrism emphasises the moral superiority and unity of "us", the homogeneous "people". Exclusion expresses itself in delineation against "the others", who are defined by criteria such as origin, religion or socio-economic status and who remain shut out from the privileges of "the people". The triangle clarifies the core features of populist ideologies and how they address a population.
Structure
The format has three acts.
- In the first act the topic is established and the triangle is shown from the perspective of one actor.
- In the second act the triangle starts to dissolve as we see the perspectives of the other actors in the original triangle.
- In the third act the triangle is fully dissolved by introducing a perspective on the topic that has not yet been heard and was not an explicit part of the original triangle.
Choosing a topic
Populism often works through moments of "felt threat". "Felt" does not mean the threat cannot be serious — but the threat is portrayed one-sidedly through the populism triangle. Examples could be: bird flu, Germany losing the European Football Championship, a new war. The audience is asked for such a threat as a starting point. Then groups or actors are established that have something to do with the topic or can take a position on it. The collection should be expanded with enough groups to fill the triangle. As the show goes on, the audience can vote on which characters should come into focus.
First act
In the first act we see the perspective on the threat from one actor's point of view. The layers of populism are played to the full — "those at the top" are attacked, "the others" are excluded. The actor uses every possible instrument, medium and disinformation tool.
Second act
In the second act we shift perspective and show the view of the other two corners of the triangle: "those at the top" and "the others". They, however, also work the triangle and use populist strategies themselves. The audience experiences a plurality of perspectives, but one that seems irreconcilable.
Third act
In the third act we step out of the triangle and play a perspective or actor that was not previously part of the triangle. From this meta-perspective we can look at the triangle as a system and potentially integrate, or at least classify, the previous perspectives.
Playing techniques
The standard long-form techniques are used: classical scenes, monologues and so on — no games. Narrative structures for the third act may break with classical storytelling structures (for example, non-anthropocentric storytelling, beyond the hero's journey). The actors of the third act may already be visible as inconspicuous passengers in the first two acts. Social media can be integrated live or via paper notes, to make those media usable for the populist actors on stage.
Source
The format was developed during the IMPRO BEWEGT hackathon on 28 April 2024 by Jennifer Fritz, Stefan Kollmeier, Sascha Ringert, Anne Stelzel, Ralf Wetzel and David Zöllner. More information at www.impro-bewegt.de. The format is licensed under Creative Commons BY-SA.