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APPLIED THEATRE:The Mystery Unraveled by Jennifer Hartley Extracted from Scene 2010-11 April Issue 3 & 4 APPLIED THEATRE: The mystery unraveled I By Jennifer Hartley Applied theatre, both the term and the movement, has been steadily gaining momentum over the years despite what often appears to be a lack of clarity on what it actually is. Applied Theatre is an umbrella term that encompasses a range of theatre practices from Theatre of the Oppressed to Museum Theatre, Prison Theatre to Intergenerational Arts, Conflict Resolution to Applied Puppetry. What all these practices have in common is their concern with personal and social change, how they can help communities to question themselves and the world in which they live. In other words Applied Theatre stems from a basic desire to change and/or transform human behavior and thinking through the medium of theatre. Of course not all the practices encompassed are always used in an applied theatre context, rather they all have elements that allow them to be practiced in this way. Examples of different practices used in applied theatre: • Dramatherapy • Theatre of the Oppressed • Prison Theatre • Heritage Site based Theatre • Dilemma Plays • Community theatre • Reminiscence Theatre • Carnival • Psycho-drama • Storytelling • Theatre for development • Playback theatre • Museum theatre • Archive theatre • Intergenerational Arts • Theatre in Education • Applied Puppetry • Intercultural Arts • Conflict Resolution While the term ‘Applied Theatre’ emerged in the 1990s – a development from work in Theatre in Education and Process Theatre – there is no real consensus about what it is. However it is recognized that the various forms of theatre, each with their own theories and practices, all aspire to use drama to improve the lives of individuals and societies. As such it is not uncommon that applied theatre work will draw on other practices outside of the world of theatre (such as psychology, 14 | Scene | 2010-11 April Issue 3 & 4 anthropology, sociology and education) making it simultaneously an interdisciplinary and hybrid practice. Discussion has also frequently centred on the process versus performance nature of applied theatre. Over the years there has developed a general acceptance that ‘process’ work is labelled applied drama while ‘performance’ work is applied theatre. However these terms are often used intermittently not least because process work often leads to performance, or performance is used to open the dialogue into process work. “Good Applied Theatre aims to devise roles and situations that explore the human condition, not as a way of answering the problems of the world but to help develop a perspective on the world and to understand or at least struggle with the perspective of others as we move towards a sense of social justice and equity…applied theatre operates as a reflective encounter, but simultaneously it is a transformative encounter that can help change or alter human perceptions of the world. “ (Philip Taylor, Applied Theatre, Heinemann 2003) Philip Taylor further states that ‘applied theatre is powered by a need to change, (it) opens up new perspectives, poses options and anticipates change’. Taylor refers to the diversity of purpose involved in applied theatre, highlighting five areas: 1. Raising awareness (e.g. about AIDS, starvation in Africa) 2. Posing alternatives / teaching concepts (e.g. looking at behaviour patterns as a result often of ‘stuck’ situations such as gang mentality, peer pressure, substance abuse) 3. Healing psychological wounds / barriers / fractured identities (e.g. bereavement, post-trauma) 4. An interrogation of human actions / Challenging contemporary discourses (e.g. homophobia, racism, classism) 5. Voicing the views of the silent or marginal and change states of oppression (e.g. bullying, domestic abuse) While all this may seem very interesting in theory it begs the question: how does applied theatre work in the classroom? It may feel out of reach or at odds with the curriculum being taught, demanding a role of teacher and students that neither is equipped to fulfil. However that is one of the great misconceptions of applied theatre and the first step to embedding it into a theatre programme is realising that it is probably already there in various formats and to varying levels. Looking at the list of practices above, a list that is not exhaustive by any means, ask yourself how many of these practices are already in your courses. How often do we teach our students that theatre is about more than ‘performance’? Students of applied theatre quickly learn that it does not allow for passivity and uncritical consumerism; it demands reflection, interrogation, and most of all, action. Applied theatre makes manifest the use of theatre for extra-theatrical purposes, where extra theatrical can refer to such things as education, social change and community building. It incorporates varying forms of theatre and drama to present to both traditional and nontraditional audiences in formal and informal locations and in alternative spaces. In this way, applied theatre addresses the ways theatre can be an agent for change, empowerment, enablement and transformation. So how might applied theatre be used in the classroom? The first questions to ask are: What is the project? Who is it for? And… Who is the audience? In other words are you using it to tackle a class issue, a school issue, to prepare an issue-based performance, or workshop issues, is it for a class/school/external audience? Next it is key to remember that applied theatre requires certain things: Participation: Audience participation is critical to the success of the work. As a result participant autonomy is essential as opposed to a mindless state in which instructions must be obeyed, otherwise participants will be unthinking. Co-development: There must be a partnership between educators and participants and any project is developed hand-in-hand. Open-endedness: The idea is to raise question not provide definitive answers. Participants are encouraged to discuss/brainstorm/interrogate / question/be aware of different perspectives – look with new lenses/debate/dialogue/ reflect/transform/act/create their own understanding. They will leave with questions: questions about themselves, situations, the world in which they live… Purpose: Know what your reason is for using applied theatre. It is dangerous to try to work out the reason while a project is underway and will risk it becoming a ‘theatre’ project as opposed to an ‘applied Theatre’ one. Flexibility: Objectives may change as the project develops. While you may begin a project with clear objectives, the needs and desires of the participants may change. Moreover once the project is underway it may throw up things that need to be worked with which differ from the original objectives. You may be wondering what kind of projects might come under applied theatre. Below are examples of some we have carried out within a school and classroom setting: 1. A project about self-image that culminated in a forum theatre presentation for the school. Leading up to the performance students used image theatre first to establish understanding and trust to be able to openly discuss certain issues. 2. A school dealing with lack of integration among the students due to racial and cultural issues develops a project over two terms based on a better understanding of the situation for staff, students and parents. All participate in different stages of the project and get to discuss their views through the project work. Finally the same play is staged three times – each time from a different point of view, that of the students, the staff and the families involved. 3. An educational project to explore peer pressure and understanding about sexual issues. The project looked at safe sex issues, sexual orientation and the ways in which the subject is approached with young people and why they were often reluctant to listen to the standard approach. 4. A bullying project in a school designed to explore attitudes and reasons behind concepts of bullying. The project explored the ideas of victim and perpetrator and the danger of labeling and/or stereotyping. It also looked at alternative behaviours and approaches. 5. A bereavement project after a suicide incident in a school. This project was multifaceted in that the initial objectives centred around bereavement counseling but quickly changed to looking at teenage pressures, alternatives to dealing with that pressure, guilt and our basic human need to understand everything and neatly package it in a way that seems acceptable. Seniors went on to create interactive performances with juniors. 6. An intergenerational project working with history and CAS (Community, Action, Service) aiming to understand aspects of World War II and the Cold War. This was working with a home for the elderly, school students and a local museum. Objectives centred on a greater understanding of these periods and giving value to the ‘voices’ who had survived it. The culmination was a teaching performance in the museum which worked through time periods allowing the youth and the elderly to portray the same roles from different time perspectives. Looking at the projects mentioned above generally they all have some kind of ‘issue’ as the driving force. However an issue can equally be used as a means of teaching the various stages in an applied theatre project. In this way the imaginary world of applied theatre becomes a potent medium for participants to explore the real world; rather than the applied theatre being an escape, it is grounded in real-life experiences. Project based applied theatre/drama may or may not lead to performance. The ideas mentioned above come from a strong foundation of the issue being dealt with and performance being an ‘extra’ or ‘culmination’ to the project. However not all applied theatre projects come from this angle. The ‘What happened next?’ (WHN?) project was established two years ago to look at the roles of audience, director, actor and writer. It questioned the place of each in a participatory theatre and the voice each should be given, particularly in a theatre tradition that often silences the audience by reducing them to spectator role with the only form of feedback coming as applause, or lack therein. WHN? was an initiative to break down the writing process and make the writers directly answerable to their audience. The project was based on performance at each stage, with the audience being invited to speak out and get up and act as they offered their ideas for development and their commentaries. It also served for the audience to learn how to critically reflect on what they were seeing. A sample advertisement for a school version of WHN? What happened next? Five writers. Five directors. Five scripts. Five weeks. Have you ever walked away from a play wondering ‘What happened next?’ Have you ever sat through a play wishing you could change the story? Have you ever sat there thinking ‘I could have done a better job’? Well here is your chance to have your say and get involved. Each week we get a 5-minute installment of a developing play. Each week the audience will get their chance to comment on and change what they have seen and where they think it is heading. Five writers are being asked to write five minutes of a 25 minute script and over 5 weeks the same script will develop each month leaving us with five 25 minute complete plays. Each month is a strict five-minute piece and the next week is continuing from where we left off. The audience will play a role each month in helping experiment with ideas and in that way help move the story in the direction they would like to see it go, although ultimately the writer decides ‘what happened next?’ you can influence his/her decision and change the outcome. Before starting any applied theatre project ask yourself the following questions: 1. Who is the audience for the applied theatre? 2. What does the applied theatre project aim to achieve? 3. How can the applied theatre be designed to meet the needs of the audience? 4. How will you ensure participants have ownership of the project? 5. Is there going to be a performative element for a wider audience? 6. What ethics need to be considered? Scene | 2010-11 April Issue 3 & 4 | 15 7. How will reflection be built into the project? If you look at the projects mentioned above, the approach and the exercises used will vary depending on who the audience is and why the project is being created. Always ask yourself who are your participants and never forget that they must take ownership of the project. Remember that you are working towards incomplete moments even when a performance is involved. Incompleteness is essential or it becomes a didactic approach where answers or preferred courses of action have been decided beforehand and are being presented and solutions appear definitive. The teacher/joker/facilitator must never impose their own solutions but rather be the vehicle through which others can open up and express their ideas. Of course with any group that means a multiple of ideas may be presented, each with their own consequences but that is because there are multiple perspectives and every project should embrace such multiplicity and develop a framework in which it can be presented. Reflection is key to all applied theatre practice. It is critical because it demonstrates that you are asking what is Taylor’s Principles for planning Applied theatre 1. Applied theatre is thoroughly researched 2. Applied theatre seeks incompleteness 3. Applied theatre demonstrates possible narratives 4. Applied theatre is task-oriented 5. Applied theatre poses dilemmas 6. Applied theatre interrogates futures 7. Applied theatre is an aesthetic medium 8. Applied theatre gives voice to communities (Philip Taylor, Applied Theatre, Heinemann 2003) happening at any given point as you implement the work. Reflection does not come in at the end of the project as a means of evaluation, rather it is consistent and sustained throughout as the work is in a constant state of development and even flux. Philip Taylor has outlined a set of principles for planning an applied theatre project and these have been adopted and indeed adapted by practitioners worldwide. By following these planning guidelines you can help ensure that any project embraces the ethos behind the practice. The traditional view of theory and practice is that theory equals the intellectualizing, the not doing, the thinking about, while practice was about the doing, the active aspect, the process. The word praxis brings these two aspects - theory and practice together, seeing both as part of a complex dynamic encounter. Praxis is at the heart of all applied theatre work, as Things to think about: Is applied theatre moral/ethical? What makes applied theatre an ethical theatre? In other words, what are the moral values informing the choices and the implementation of the programme/project? Are we seeking conformity through such practice? Whose standard is the applied theatre enforcing? When rendering people’s life stories into the dramatic medium, must certain confidentialities and assurances be given? Should raising emotions be a purpose of applied theatre? Applied theatre might leave participants with more questions than answers – How can that be catered for? Who is the project serving? How do you build an ethical framework? What kind of follow work is needed? the theory and practice are developed simultaneously to bring about transformation. Applied theatre is transformative in nature, even if that change is not what we expected, or assumed, even if that change is not evident to us at the close of the project. A final word on the topic of ethics. The very nature of applied theatre means that certain ethical questions will always have to be taken into consideration. Having said that, any theatre practitioner should always be asking themselves certain ethical questions; the difference lies perhaps in the consequences if consideration and planning has not been given to this area. Ethically it is essential to remember that a critical element in the success of an applied theatre programme is that the group defines the territory to be covered from the start. Emphasis must be on the fact that we are not seeking to solve problems but to raise questions, there are no judgements brought to the issue and multiple perspectives are needed without the teacher/facilitator imposing their own judgement and/ or a particular point of view. Suggested Reading List If you are interested in finding out more about Applied Theatre and how to use it in your own practice I recommend the titles below: Blatner, Adam: Interactive and Improvisational Drama: Varieties of Applied Theatre and Performance. iUniverse.com (2007) Nicholson, Helen: Applied Drama (Theatre & Performance Practices). Macmillan (2005) Prendergast, M. & Saxton, J: Applied Theatre: International Case Studies and Challenges for Practice. Intellect Books (2009) Prentki, T. & Preston, S.: Applied Theatre Reader. Routledge (2008) Taylor, Philip: Applied Theatre: Creating Transformative Encounters in the Community Heinemann. (2003) Thompson, James: Digging Up Stories: Applied Theatre, Performance and War. Manchester University Press. (2006) “I've made some friends that I will keep in touch with for many years to come because they have inspired me to do my best and also encourage me in a craft that they also adore.” Student “I think ISTA was amazing. It is a fun way to explore the theatrical mind of a child. The experiences we shared as an ensemble were extremely memorable…we got to express our inner talents in a sophisticated way.” Student “The only problem with ISTA is that the festival is not long enough.” 16 | Scene | 2010-11 April Issue 3 & 4 Student