The History of Drama Therapy
By Alison Hudson
Drama Therapy
Drama Therapy in the United States
A Taste of Drama Therapy
Psychodrama
- Defined as a form of action psychotherapy where individuals play roles for therapeutic purposes
- Differences between drama therapy and psychodrama
- Two independent strands of drama therapy developed in England and the United States
National Association for Drama Therapy
- Gertrud Schattner worked Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital and edited the first major U.S. publication on drama therapy.
- Three most influential pioneers
- Renée Emunah
- David Read Johnson
- Robert Landy
- Founded by Jacob Levy Moreno in early 20th century
- The protagonist reenacts disturbing experiences from their life in front of an audience of peers
- Audience supports the protagonist and shares their feelings following the enactment
- Defined as a form of action psychotherapy
- Founded in 1979 by prominent practitioners and researchers in the United States
- Led to the development of the training programs in New York and San Francisco
- Paved the way for an international think-tank of drama therapy trainers and educators in 1994
A Short Exercise!
English Drama Therapy
Modes of Drama Therapy
- Improvisations and acting with props
- Allows drama therapists greater insight
- Openness to interpretation can lead to certain improvisations being interpreted drastically differently depending on the therapist
- Scene work
- Drama therapy works well because many patients communicate interactively rather than introspectively
- Experimental theatre and improvisational theatre were important influences
- Peter Slade coined term dramatherapy
- Sue Jennings defined parameters of the field and extended its scope
- Sue Jennings also published Remedial Drama
- Marion Lindkvist founded Sesame
- Aldia Gersie, Phil Jones, and Roger Grainger
- Find a partner.
- Choose who will be the player and who will be the instrument.
- The instruments stand up straight and relaxed, take a deep breath, and begin to exhale producing a uniform, consistent sound (preferably using the vowel “a”). They repeat the sound for three consecutive breaths.
- The players move the instruments' bodies, swing their limbs, play with their face, shoulders, etc., tapping on various parts of their bodies so as to alter the sound they produce.
- After 3 consecutive breaths, they swap roles; everyone should play at least twice in each role.
References
- Davis, K. L. [Kristi Lynn Davis]. (2011, Oct. 25). A taste of drama therapy. [Video File]. Retrieved from https:// www.youtube.com/ watch?v=CwacYiATS-E.
- Drama Therapy Exercises by Susana Pendzik
- Emunah, R. (1997). Drama therapy and psychodrama: An integrated model. International Journal Of Action Methods: Psychodrama, Skill Training, And Role Playing, 50(3), 108-134.
- Lippe, W. A. (1992). Stanislavski's affective memory as a therapeutic tool. Journal Of Group Psychotherapy, Psychodrama & Sociometry, 45(3), 102-111.
- Malchiodi, C. A. (2005). Expressive therapies. New York: Guilford Press.