"An Introduction to Dramatherapy"

 written by Dorothy Langley

Dramatherapy (sometimes "Drama Therapy"):

"a type of psychotherapy encouraging patients to use dramatic techniques

to deal with emotional and psychological problems."

While browsing the Drama section at my local library, I came across this book.  I have read it and am determined to purchase it for my library.

In order to become a registered Drama therapist (RDT), one must attend an accredited school under the National Association of Drama therapists (NADT). There are only 4 universities recognised under the NADT which are in California, Montreal, New York and the United Kingdom.

I have always had an interest in Dramatherapy and try to incorporate methods and concepts into my rehearsals and drama games I conduct with both adults and children whenever possible. Needless to say - living in London, Ontario - I will not become a RDT anytime soon. I am not a registered Drama therapist, I do not claim to be one nor do I call what I do "Dramatherapy". I am simply inspired by the logic behind and the concepts of Dramatherapy.

I wanted to share with you all what I got out of reading this book:

STAGES:
-Dramatic Play: games, trust exercises, environment exploration, etc.
-Scene Work: script/improv, structured scenes, focused characters & situations
-Role Play: real-life roles, safely portray someone else
-Enactment: real-life issues and conflicts
-Dramatic Ritual: structure, occurs every session/rehearsal, set expectations & schedule

-Start a rehearsal or drama session with a warm-up (duh), followed by a focused activity (ie. based on a specific idea or concept) then bring the session to an end with a cool-down activity/a ritual (ie. a song or dance which ends the session/rehearsal every time).

IMPORTANT:
-always state clear boundaries of space, time & rules
-always use clear instructions & goals that are achievable
-always state that it is safe to play
-explain relevance of each activity

MODELS OF DRAMATHERAPY:
-Developmental Model, Jennings
-Creative/Expressive Model, Cattanach
-Integrated Model, Jennings
-Para-Theatrical Model, Grotowski
-Role Model, Moreno
-Theatrical Model, Brenda Meldrum

WARM-UPS: sets mood, theme & focus
~warm-ups break the ice, make introductions, prepare body & mind for activity, focuses on the physical being, awakens imagination & creativity~
-Bean Bag Toss (say a name and toss them the bag, gradually add more bags)
-Tag, Red Light/Green Light, Musical Chairs, Follow the Leader
-Balloon Pass (form 2 lines facing each other and lightly bounce the balloon back & forth between partners)
-Run n' Touch (sit, everyone stands, runs, touches something of a certain colour then races back to their seats, leaving one person left in the middle to choose the next colour)
-Scarf? (pass a scarf around the circle, use imagination to turn it into something else ie. a cape)
-Statement (make a statement on the chosen topic/theme ie. if senses is the theme one could share something that they have tasted or smelled in the past)
-Tableau (one person places all the other members into a tableau/still picture then tells a story)

ICE-BREAKERS:
~group cohesion & trust~
-2 Truths & a Lie (in partners tell each other 2 truths and a lie about yourself and see if your partner can pick out the lie)
-One person at a time or in partners describes to the other(s) their happiest place and takes them through an imaginary tour
-the group becomes a car or boat-making team. They must collect items within the space to create a boat/car that will actually be able to move around the room/space

SOCIAL SKILLS
-eye contact while speaking
-sit in circle, one hints to another that they wish to trade places with them only using eye contact
-in partners compliment and say "thanks" back n' forth and repeat
-create a scene on a park bench: one person wants to quietly read the paper and the other wants to chit-chat. How do each deal with the conflict?

AWARENESS OF SURROUNDINGS
-explore room with senses (please don't have them lick anything :) to discover what they see, hear, feel and smell in the room. What do they like the best? What feels nice? What looks menacing? What is humming?
-walk around the room banging and tapping (respectfully) on items within the space. After exploring everything, have each person go back to the thing they think made the "coolest" sound and see if, as a group, you can create a rhythm or song. One-by-one they join in.
-study and observe shapes, angles and objects in the room - then recreate them with your bodies
-Number and name all the colours you see in the room. Which is your favourite & why?

SENSES
-listen and focus on the sounds within the room, then expand to the sounds in the building then outside
-pass a bag with a  textured object inside around the circle and have them guess what it is. They can describe the texture and how it makes them feel (gross, scared, funny, etc.)
-pass around little pots which each have a different scent. Have the individuals share what they think it is and what it makes them think of (if anything)
-get into partners numbered 1's and 2's. Study each other's appearance then have all the 1's leave the room and change one thing about their appearance as the 2's do the same. Everyone comes back and tries to figure out what's different in 3 guesses.
-have individuals think of their happiest place or memory and make a list of the colours in that place/memory. Then have them create a rainbow/abstract piece using those colours (art supplies needed)
-show the group/circle a picture and have each describe what they see and tell a story about the picture

REALITY ORIENTATION
-have a check-in board with date, time, current news & weather
-share with group how you got to the session/rehearsal
-look out the window and state what you see (can use this to create characters & setting for improv)
-look at the clothing that people are wearing outside. What does it say about the weather?

REMINISCENCE & MEMORY
-storytelling around a theme
-story/scene/improv something that everyone knows (ie. a scene from a Fairytale)
-picture display from their past (art & photographs)
-plays/skits & improv surrounding an everyday object (ie. a spoon)
-plays/skits & improv based on experiences of individuals/group
-song/rhythm circle

MOVEMENT
-each person moves around the room expressing their current emotion/mood without words
-imagine your favourite picture or image and create a movement that expresses it's essence. Create a rhythm/dance using that repeated movement
-have the group write their own name in the air and build upon those movements
-in pairs, recreate a task (ie. washing dishes) and turn these movements into a sequence

RELAXATION
-lie down, relax and tense the various muscle groups starting with the face and moving down to the toes
-lie down, breathe in all the good things you would like to absorb, exhale and blow out all the negative things you'd like to rid yourself of

ROLE
-play as/ become another person, animal or thing
-play as/be yourself but in a different place/situation
-isolate something about yourself and create a character around that one thing (ie. Mother)

IMPROV
-walk around the room concentrating on how you feel in that moment. Who else walks like that or who could? Create a character around this walk and give them a name and background/history. Change the setting of the room (ie. into a grocery store) and have all the characters interact as they would in that environment
-everyone are members of a shipwrecked crew on an island. Interact and organise yourself with others to find food and shelter. How will you get home? How do you interact with others? Do you want to go home? How do you interact with the locals?

CREATE A STORY
1-main character & where they live
2-mission or task they must fulfil
3-person or thing that will help the main character
4-obstacle that stands in their way
5-how the main character copes/deals/overcomes the obstacle
6-how the story ends (does it end?)
*individuals may also create a storyboard to help show the group what their story looks like

HOW TO USE STORIES
-told to and shared with the group & reflected on
-told without the ending which members of the group can provide before finding out the original ending
-narrative can be performed by the group as it is read, rehearsed then performed
-members can add/change stories in group/partners before presenting
*stories can be a source of group/individual exploration revealing unspoken issues

DE-ROLING
~getting "out" of character and back to be being themselves~
-sit in 2 chairs (back and forth) one is the "character" chair and one is the "me" chair. While sitting in each chair they state the differences
-place a bucket/chest in the room for individuals to place within what they would like to "keep" from the role they played and a trash can for what they would like to "toss away"
-have the individuals think of ways they would like to "keep" and "toss away" feelings and emotions from the role they played (ie. "keep" it in a locket and "toss it away" by burning it)

CLOSING THE SESSION
-brief reminder that the session/rehearsal is coming to an end
-look towards things that are coming in the future
-concluding ritual (occurs at end of every session/rehearsal)
-reminder & time of next session/rehearsal
-ask individuals as to where they are off to afterwards
-group stands in circle facing outwards, clap, turn to face outwards then leave when they're ready
-restore room to order before returning to circle to say "goodbye" or "until next time"
-stand in circle and one-by-one state what they would like to take and what they would like to leave. After everyone has shared, they may leave
-"Hey-ho, hey-ho, it's off to _____ we go!"

FURTHER READING
"the Healing Drama" by Bannister, A.
"Drama, Psychotherapy & Psychosis..." by Casson, J.
"Drama for People with Special Needs" by Cattanach, A.
"Dramatherpy for People with Learning Disabilities" by Chesner, A.
"Drama Therapy Process, Technique & Performance" by Emunah, R.
"Dramatic Approaches to Brief Therapy" Gersie, A.
"Reflections on Therapeutic Storymaking" by Gersie, A.
"Drama and Healing:the Roots..." by Grainger, R.
"the Glass of Heaven" by Grainger, R.
"the Play's the Thing" by Jenkyns, M.
Dramatherapy, Theory & Practice (Vol. 1,2&3)" by Jennings, S.
"the Handbook of Dramatherapy" by Jennings, Cattanach, Mitchell, Chesner & Meldrum
"Drama as Therapy, Theatre as Living" by Jones, P.
"Drama Therapy" by Landy, R.
"Persona and Performance" by Landy, R.
"Dramatherapy Clinical Studies" by Mitchell, S.
"Discovering Self Through Drama & Movement: the Sesame Approach" by Pearson, J.
"Psychodrama" by Wilkins, P.

Somewhere along the way, we stopped playing,
letting loose and being silly.

Dramatherapy is a safe and supportive outlet
for people to express themselves freely

without fear of judgement or ridicule.

Through laughter and play,
we can heal ourselves from within.

More information on Dramatherapy can be found here:
http://www.nccata.org/drama_therapy.htm
http://www.nadt.org/index.html

Drama Games for Kids...AND Adults

~ ages 5-12 ~

When we were children, we were encouraged to laugh, play, dance and sing.
When we were children, it was "cute" for us to put on a little play or sing a song for Grandma.
As we grew-up we were told (more and more often) by society, that singing and dancing is for children and that we are "too old" for such childish games.
These games focus on giving children and parents an opportunity to be a little silly while improving listening skills and self-esteem.
Though these games are specified for children between the ages of 5 and 12, they have been tested and proven beneficial for adults as well.
I strongly encourage parents, guardians and teachers to get involved with our children.
As adults, we should all have the opportunity to play, laugh and dance little.
Let loose and enjoy these games!

"Run a Marathon"
No materials needed, works great in a large group. Imagination and physical warm-up.
Have everyone stand in a circle facing inward and tell the group that they are about to run a race.
They are just behind the starting line and they need to stretch their legs and pump themselves up for the win!
"On your mark! Get set! GO!" And your Off! Everyone is running on the spot as fast as they can, they're being cheered-on by their fans on the sidelines, they pass one of the other runners, they turn a corner, they jump over a log, they swim across a lake - It's up to you! Have them react to whatever you tell them and then - you cross the finish line! Walk it off, take some deep breaths and raise both your arms up in the air because you are the champion! This is a great warm-up activity to get everyone moving and hearts beating.

"Explore Your Environment"
No materials needed, works in any size of group. Imagination & physicality.
Everyone starts by walking around the pre-determind space in a random fashion (rather than in a circle or in one direction). Once everyone has explored the physical space - change the setting. "You are no longer in this room - now you are in the Arctic and the cold wind is blowing, snow is sticking to your eyebrows and nose hairs, you pull your coat tighter around you but the cold just keeps getting colder, your nose starts running as all the bones in your body start to freeze and SUDDENLY you have become a frozen statue." Continue to change the setting, environment, tempurature, situation, etc. This game is a great way to get children out of "life mode" and into "play mode". Something I like to add to the end of this game is tell everyone you are walking in a park and you are surrounded by friends you haven't seen in a long time. Tell them to approach everyone in the group with a warm smile, a handshake and a greeting like "Oh, I haven't seen you in such a long time!" or "It's so nice to see you; how've you been?" etc. This game encourages group involvement and respect for others.

"As the Wind Blows"
Tape or chairs needed, works best with a larger group. Focus on things in common vs. differences.
Everyone stands on a taped "x" in a circle or sits in chairs placed in a circle. There should be enough chairs or "x's" for everyone except one person. This person stands in the middle of the circle and says "As the wind blows, it blows everyone who has ______". It could be something they've done, something they have, their favourite colour or something they're wearing. Everyone in the circle who has whatever the person in the middle stated, runs from their spot into someone else's spot. There will always be one person left in the middle for the next round. After playing this game a few times, I like to add another dimension - have everyone give each other a high-five before finding a new seat. This is encouraging for kids to see and hear what they have in common with who. A great way to introduce children into a group or individuals to each other.

"Hoola-Hoop"
 One hoola-hoop, works best with a medium-large group. Teamwork & accomplishment.
Everyone stands in a circle holding hands. A Hoola-hoop is placed on one person's shoulder so that it is resting on their right or left shoulder at the top and is in between their legs at the bottom. Without letting go of hands - pass the hoola-hoop all the way around the circle. While doing so, encourage the group to cheer-on their group members. Individuals can help their neighbors get the hoop up and over them by lifting their arms or lowering them closer to the floor. It's fun and everyone is so excited after they did it! It's really fun to time it the first time then try to beat the time as a group.

"Human Machine"
No materials needed, works in any size group. Teamwork, focus, rhythm & listening.
Everyone stands (or sits if they choose) in a circle. One person starts by making a movement from the person on their left to the person on their right accompanied by a sound. This movement with the sound is repeated from left to right, left to right until a rhythm is heard and seen. The person on that person's right then makes a motion that continues from the motion presented to them. If the person who started, picks something up on their left and drops it in the air over the person on their right then THAT person needs to make their own movement (in some way) catch the object being dropped over them so they can continue the motion around the circle. Eventually, everyone in the circle will be receiving and passing an imaginary object around the circle with repeated movements and sound. If working with younger children - using a real object, such as a ball, might help them imagine the object but also keep track of where it is in the circle. A great game which encourages working together and "give & take".

"Led By the Nose"
No materials needed, works in any size group. Exploration, imagination & physicality.
Everyone begins by exploring the space provided. Once everyone is spread out and walking within the space (not in a circle or in any given direction) instruct the group that they are now being led by the nose. They will in turn push their nose forward as if their nose is steering them about the room. Change it up as often as you like. Be led by the elbows, the fingertips, your toes, your ears, your teeth, etc. This is a great exercise to get children (and adults) out of their minds and warm them up for physical activity. Individuals will also learn to show their actions outward rather than simply standing and talking - they allow their bodies to be primary expressive factor.

"Silent Mimes"
No materials needed, works in any size group. Imagination, listening & physicality.
Everyone begins by exploring their environment as in the previous game. Direct the group through various activities meanwhile having them remain silent without any words spoken or noises made. Some activities may include: your eating an ice-cream, you're walking a dog, you're picking strawberries, you're washing the dishes, you're picking flowers, you're trying on clothing, you're admiring yourself in the mirror, etc. This is a great game to have towards the end of drama games as it tends to calm down the group and prepare them for leaving the "play world" and getting back into "life mode".

"You're in the Middle of an Ocean..."
No materials needed, works individually and in groups. Imagination, calming/cool-down.
Have everyone find a place on the floor to lay down and have them lay on their backs facing the ceiling. Then have them close their eyes. Everything you say - they are to imagine in their minds while keeping their eyes closed. "You're in the middle of an ocean. The sky is clear and seagulls pass overhead. You hear the waves as they gently sway your raft. You place your hand in the cool water and feel it drift between your fingers..." You can add as many dimensions to the story as you like, whether there's little fish in the water or a boat passes by but try to keep your voice quiet and calming. I usually like to end this game with "...a family seagulls flies over you and -UH OH - one pooped on your head!" This gets everyone laughing again and is a great way to get them out of the relaxing/drama mode and back into reality without being too abrupt or having them fall asleep on you.

I have done these games with children from the ages of 5 right up to adults in their 40's and 50's.
I find the best way to ensure games are well received and that everyone participates is to show your excitment for the games. If you get into it - so will the people you are instructing.

*NOTE ~ at any point if a child or adult is uncomfortable with a game or wishes not to participate, do not force them. Instead, instruct them to simply remain with the group and watch or to sit quietly closeby and still in view. Everyone has different levels of comfort and it is important to respect that in individuals of all ages.