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Theatre can empower 
individuals and communities. Theatre is a 
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Master Sites

Applied and Interactive Theatre Guide - 

A resource for those who use theatre techniques  for other or more than arts or entertainment  purposes, and for those whose theatre styles  incorporate other than traditional presentation styles. This is an extensive web resource thoroughly covering a wide array of issues relating to access and application of theatre forms. There are extensive libraries of links to companies and other resources. From theatre for artists with disabilities to "Theatre of the Oppressed", this site has it all. This is a great master site.

Drama Therapy & Psychodrama
Theatre and Mental Health 

Note: General Arts Therapy Resources are listed under 
Visual Arts 

The American Society of Group Psychotherapy and Psychodrama  

Basic organizational website offering information on training programs, conferences, and their research journal (no online articles though).

Australia and New Zealand Psychodrama Association

"ANZPA was first established in 1980. It now has about 90 Ordinary and Distinguished members who are Certificated Psychodramatist, Sociodramatists, Sociometrists or Role-Trainers. 25 of these members are further certificated as Trainer, Educator and Practitioners (TEPs) or Educator Practitioners."

Bibliography of Drama Therapy Publications 

This web Bibliography of Drama Therapy was compiled by Adam Blatner, M.D. on 4th June 1998:  The resource is extensive and includes psychodrama resources, journal information, and information on non-English publications.

British Association of Drama Therapists

The British Association of Dramatherapists is the professional body that represents Dramatherapists and their professional practice.

Drama Therapy - an Overview  

This site, from The National Coalition of Arts Therapies Associations, offers a nice, concise overview of the field of Drama Therapy 

Drama Therapy at NYU School of Education  

Drama therapy combines the aims and techniques of drama/theatre with those of psychotherapy to treat individuals in crisis and help those with special needs to expand their quality of life. New York University was the first in the country to develop an academic program leading to a Master of Arts degree in drama therapy. The program attracts theatre professionals and educators, therapists, and those working in the fields of medicine, nursing, and special education. 

Dramatherapy in Greece and Cyprus  

Don't let the site name fool you. This page offers a nice collection of links to resources in many countries throughout the world, in addition to giving a nice overview of the field itself.

Dramatherapy and Psychodrama home page  From Jessica Kingsley Publishers 

 The first JKP book on dramatherapy was published in 1990. Since then the list has grown rapidly. Books cover both theory and practice, and are on the leading edge of this developing field. JKP also publishes very actively in the closely related fields of play therapy and storymaking. This is a very extensive collection of valuable resources

Geese Theatre Company Restorative Drama Therapy In Criminal Justice And Prisons Schools Conventions   

Geese Theatre Company, based in San Francisco, provides arts based restorative justice projects. The first one began in January 1997 with a production created and acted by members of the Milestones Halfway House and with input from victims and members of the community.   The page offers a nice bibliography of Drama Therapy books and resources such as the interesting "Diary of a Drama Therapist".

The National Association for Drama Therapy -   

The National Association for Drama Therapy is a Washington, DC. based non-profit association incorporated in 1979 to establish and uphold high standards of professional competence and ethics among drama therapists; to develop criteria for training and registration; to sponsor publications and conferences; and to promote the profession of drama therapy through information and advocacy. The site presents a rich array of resources from University training programs, to regional center contact information, to conference 
information.

Performing Playwrights  

Performing Playwrights is a child-centered project which addresses major components of the language arts curriculum by empowering students to write, perform, and produce their own play. The children study the writing process, elements of fiction, read plays throughout the year, and attend performances with an awareness that they will eventually write their own class play. The class gathers to discuss the structure necessary to write a play and to review the important components of a fictitious play. The children brainstorm a list of possible problems, solutions, and characters around which the play can be written. 

Psychodrama, an Overview  

This site, from The National Coalition of Arts Therapies Associations, offers a nice, concise overview of the use of psychodrama in therapy 

Roundabout London  Drama Therapy   

Roundabout's mission is to use Drama and Movement therapy to provide psychological, educational and artistic benefit to a wide range of disadvantaged people throughout Greater London, UK. To describe all the different projects Roundabout has worked with since 1985 would be impossible but in order to demonstrate Drama and Movement Therapy here are some quotes from service users.

Stepping Out Theatre, Bristol, England

"Formed in 1997, Stepping Out Theatre is the country’s leading mental health
theatre group. It has produced a wide range of work on mental health themes
and is open to people who have used mental health services and their allies."

Theatre Companies Offering Performances by Performers With Various Abilities and Disabilities

Dionysus Theatre

"Dionysus Theatre bills itself as: "the only inclusive theatre in the state of Texas.
Dionysus is composed of actors with disabilities and those who are non-disabled.
Our actors have varying disabilities. This is a professional resident company that performs 5 shows a year, offers classes to actors with disabilities and a touring troupe that performs throughout Texas."

Express Theatre-Northwest

Based in Spokane, Washington, USA, "Express Theatre-Northwest is a professional educational touring theatre company of actors and support people, of whom at least 51 percent are persons with disabilities and/or their family members. Our goal is to provide thought provoking theatre experiences, with the full intent of helping to overcome the societal stigmas of mental illnesses and other disabilities"

Graeae Theatre

Company bills itself as: "Britain's best known thaetre company of people with physical and sensory impairments. Graeae tours nationally and internationally and is the only professional thaetre compaeny of people with physical and sensory impairments in Europe and as far as we are aware, world-wide."

Scraping The Surface 

This page profiles a one-person show written and performed by Lyle Victor Albert at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The site includes various versions of performance video clips. "For Vic, the seemingly simple act of shaving becomes a turning point in accepting his cerebral palsy and pushing himself and his physical abilities. The challenge of shaving propels Vic to explore growing pains common to teenagers: parents, high school, and decisions about life after high school."

 

Theatre resources for People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Australian Theatre of the Deaf

The Australian Theatre of the Deaf (ATOD) is the only professional company of its type in Australia. Its unique style of performance is based on the expressive skills of its Deaf actors. By the use of movement, physical expression, acting and a visual language, the company is dedicated to the ideal of producing a form of theatre that can communicate, educate and excite both Deaf and hearing audiences. This is a simple information page but it does include contact information. 

Bailiwick Repertory Theatre  

Based in Chicago, this company "supports the vision of gifted directors and writers, embraces innovate works with an emphasis on Chicago premieres, challenges our audiences artistically, builds cultural bridges and stages diverse productions that range from classics to new works and often feature works with deaf and hearing-impaired themes, and gay and lesbian themes."

Cleveland Signstage Theatre 

The mission of Cleveland SIGNSTAGE Theatre is integration. Artistically, we integrate the verbal language of spoken English and the visual language of American Sign Language (ASL) into unique theatrical and educational experiences. Culturally, we integrate hearing and deaf people from diverse backgrounds into a cohesive ensemble. SIGNSTAGE is one of few professional theatre companies in the United States that hires deaf and hearing actors to provide these shared experiences.

DEAFYWOOD Production Company 

Deafywood is an ensemble of Deaf actors and dancers from Hollywood performing quality stage production incorporating ASL/deaf culture humor, stories, and satirizing current social issues to deaf and hearing audiences. The ensemble aim to promote sign language and the American Deaf culture appreciation to schools, colleges, Deaf clubs and organizations, and public places. Deafywood also promote fundraising performance for nonprofit organizations. This is a very fun website with lots of pictures and a tad of great humor.

Deaf West Theatre Company  

Based in Hollywood, CA, this is a very active theatre company. translation, providing for all, an enhanced theatrical experience.

LA Bridges, Theatre Company of the Deaf

This is a theatre company and so very much more. The organization offers an excellent deaf actor referal service, for instance, that has had great success in placing actors with disabilities into professional positions in theatre, film, and television production. The company provides technical advisiong and extensive training. This is a nice resources for those in the deaf and hearing impaired community who may be looking for a professional career in the theatre.

National Theatre of the Deaf  

This Tony Award winning, Connecticut based company is top of the line! Alas the website is a tad less impressive. 

National Theatre of the Deaf, Professional Training School   

The National Theatre of the Deaf The National Theatre of the Deaf Professional Theatre School for Deaf Theatre Personnel (PTS) was established in 1967 through a grant from the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. A secondary focus of the program was training individuals who were interested in exploring teaching positions in programs providing preliminary or ancillary training in theatre arts disciplines to the Deaf (university drama departments, for example) or providing further training to enhance the work of those already engaged in a teaching capacity in such programs.

Quest: Arts for Everyone

Based in Landham, MD, Quest creates ongoing, programs in partnership with schools, professional arts organizations, community centers, colleges and universities, arts councils, government agencies, elected officials, foundations, and corporations.  Quest creates and produces new works for the stage that support its mission and represent a strong visual and cultural base.  Quest provides training in the arts to young people and adults in communities, which have been under served or under represented.  Quest also provides professional training and consultation to educators, administrators, and parents who are interested in using the arts to promote excellence in their schools. Quest's Young Scholars Program, sponsored by Gallaudet University's Honors Program, is a summer institute for deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing adolescents.

Theatre Sign Language Interpreting Page  

This is an excellent meta-site that addresses multiple issues in the arena of interpreting theatre for the deaf. The site even includes resources related to developing deaf audiences. This is a well written, well organized web resource.

Theatre for People With Learning Disabilities

Heart and Soul Musical Theatre  

Founded in 1986 and based at the Albany Theatre in London, the National Touring Company of fourteen professional, learning disabled, actors and musicians have forged a name for themselves on the international stage. Their work has become recognized and respected by disabled and non-disabled audiences, for productions that deliver extraordinary pieces of Music Theatre which express the way that they see the world. This, together with an innovative approach to training, residencies and an extensive program of workshops, provides a 'ladder of opportunity' for people with learning disabilities; leading from appreciation to participation, through personal development to independence. 

Theatre Resources for People 
With Physical or General Disabilities

The Association for Theatre and Accessibility - Los Angeles, CA  - 

The Association for Theatre and Accessibility is a membership based organization whose mission is to foster full participation and involvement of individuals with all types of disabilities in drama and theatre activities. Simple info-based website.

National Theatre Workshop of the Handicapped  

The National Theatre Workshop of the Handicapped, Inc. (NTWH) is a Maine based non-profit organization founded in 1977 to provide the disabled community with the communication skills necessary to pursue a life in professional theatre and enhance their opportunities in the workplace. 

National Arts and Disability Center 

The NADC is the administrative home for The Association for Theatre and Accessibility. The NADC is dedicated to promoting the full inclusion of children and adults with disabilities into the visual-, performing-, media-, and literary- arts communities.    This website is a wonderful resource with a plethora of materials on access to the arts.

Theatre in Motion  

Theatre in Motion is a New York City-based participatory, educational theatre company which utilizes non-traditional casting, that is, artists with and without disabilities working together, serving all populations.  Executive Director Leslie Fanelli designs all programs which focus on Dr. Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences.

The Uppity Theatre

This St Louis organization, serves as home to The DisAbility Project, a series of 12- to 16-week Saturday workshops that engage in conversation, writing, sound and movement, and theatrical exercises to explore developing material around the culture of disability. Comprised of both disabled and non-disabled participants, the Project endeavors to empower individuals, honor their stories, foster community and enhance public awareness about disability.

Theatre of the Oppressed 
Theatre of Social Change

Legislative Theatre, Using Performance to Make Politics by Augusto Boal - 

"Elected MP for Rio de Janeiro in the 1992 Brazil elections, renowned theatre director and founder of the international movement 'Theatre of the Oppressed', Augusto Boal mixes theatre and politics in a way that's committed, inspirational and explosive.  Legislative Theatre, the latest and most remarkable stage of his work, is an attempt to use theatre within a political system to create a truer form of democracy; developed during his period as a prominent Brazilian politician, this method transforms the citizen into the legislator." This simple website from Routledge Press allows you to order this book.

Pedagogy & Theatre of the Oppressed

"(PTO) is a not-for-profit (IRS 501C3) organization with the following mission: To challenge oppressive systems by promoting critical thinking and social justice. We organize an annual meeting that focuses on the work of liberatory educators, activists, and artists; and community organizers."

Theatre of the oppressed   

This website is based at New York University. It gives a nice overview of the topic and then includes annotated links to many theatre companies specializing in "theatre of the oppressed" forms. 

Theatre Fighting Prejudice

Kids on the Block  

The Kids on the Block is a Columbia, MD. based organization, which provides educational puppet programs which enlighten children on the issues of disability awareness, medical-educational differences, and social concerns. Here at the National Office of the Kids on the Block we research and develop relevant and timely program topics for delivery by over 1000 troupes around the world. Kids on the Block has a strong commitment to provide communities with programs that address children's questions, concerns and needs in a lively and entertaining manner. Kids on the Block educational curricula help to create positive attitudinal and behavioral change for present and future generations. Tour our web site to find out more about the Kids on the Block educational puppet programs. This organization has around 1,000 related troups world-wide. Many are linked from this site.  

Theatre Empowering Youth at Risk

CLIMB Theatre  

(standing for  Creative Learning Ideas for Mind and Body) is an educational touring company based in Minneapolis that has been in existence for 20 years. CLIMB produces original plays and classes for K-12th grade on topics such as: Violence Prevention, Substance Abuse and Addiction, Sexual Harassment, Environment, Diversity,  and Gender. This is a very well organized, informative website.

EnAct (Educational Network of Artists in Creative Theatre) 

A nonprofit company based in New York City. The organization  offers theatre-in-education and drama therapy training among their many programs. ENACT's mission is to use interactive drama and conflict resolution techniques to facilitate personal growth, effective communication and behavioral and attitudinal change. 

Geese Theatre Company

Based in Birmingham, England, "We use drama and theatre to encourage self-awareness and to assist individuals in exploring the idea of change and the impact that it may have on their lives. Within this framework we consider the complex web of connections between personal behavior, choice and responsibility and broader social, economic and political factors. Our theatre functions as a catalyst. Through fictional performance we mirror situations and behaviors and model possible alternatives as a spur to discussion and debate. In addition, through dynamic, participatory drama techniques we facilitate the active exploration of changing behaviors and the rehearsing of new skills and strategies. Our groupwork practice takes a cognitive-behavioral approach and we also give particular attention to the development of theatre techniques and metaphors, such as masks, which give equal emphasis to behavior, thoughts and feelings."

HealthWorks Theatre  

Based in Chicago,  HealthWorks Theatre was established by a group of actors, songwriters and friends to bring a new vitality to AIDS prevention education in the Midwest. Since its founding,  the  theatre company has expanded to address issues related to  violence prevention and has reached more than 350,000 people in 16 states with its plays, facilitated discussions, and messages of compassion and hope. 

How Stories Work in Prevention  

This is a clearly written guide to how the art of storytelling can be used to help turn the lives of at risk youth around.    

InteractiveTheatre.Org  

Uses drama to educate on issues of sexual assault. The company works to "challenge personal and societal beliefs by creating three-dimensional characters that can't be ignored or tuned out like videos. The situations in the scenes are real, explicit, and disturbing". The website offers an extensive library of contacts for similar companies throughout the country. This page is thus a nice master-site of resources. The page olso offers articles on the value of such programs.      


Improbable Players 

The Improbable Players, based in Boston, MA, is a professional touring theater company which gives performances about alcohol and other drug abuse. The shows are effective and powerful because the actors are recovering alcoholics and addicts. The shows' scenes, created from their real-life stories, dramatize the effects of substance abuse on the family, and its relation to other problems such as HIV/AIDS and violence. 

An Introduction to Playback Theatre

Devised by Orla McKeagney - An excellent step by step guide to this important theraputic theatre form. "in Playback a member of a group is encouraged to relate a real life experience which is then reenacted by the others. American empirical evidence would tend to justify its supporters claim that the experience has a therapeutic outcome as it heightens 'self awareness', enhances creativity and spontaneity, and reinforces the individual's sense of identity."       

International Playback Theatre Network Member Listings

Links to Playback Theatre sites all over the world. This is a nice master list.

KEY Players (Keep Empowering Youth) 

A professional touring children's theatre company based in Catawba, North Carolina. KEY practices Instructive Theatre  to teach social skills.  KEY’s professional adult actors perform a repertoire of issue-oriented plays and workshops about such topics as; violence prevention, stranger safety, recycling, sexual harassment, gender equity in career choices, diversity, respect, self-esteem and character education. One great feature of this website, is the explicit review of how their productions address educational standards in North Carolina. This feature should be incorporated into the websites of all similar organizations!  

Pentimento Playback Theatre  

This Playback theatre company is based in Albany, NY. Their website, among other features, offers a link listing of many other such companies around the country and the world. "Playback Theatre is a unique style of theater in which audience members are invited to tell stories from their lives and watch them enacted, or "played back" on the spot. A Playback conductor helps each willing audience member tell a story---casting actors as people, places, things, animals, feelings---whatever the story requires. Then, without consultation, the Playback actors play the story back using only cloth, boxes, music, and themselves. The results are often as unexpected as they are engaging. And, not surprisingly, one person's story is often the inspiration for 
the next."   

Playback Theatre Net  

Playback Theatre is an original form of improvisational theatre in which audience or group members tell stories from their lives and watch them enacted on the spot. Whether in theatres, workshops, educational or clinical settings, playback theatre draws people closer as they see their common humanity. Playback Theatre was founded in 1975 in the Mid-Hudson Valley in New York by Jonathan Fox and the original Playback Theatre company. Since then, Playback Theatre has reached hundreds of settings and locations. A support organization, this website provides connection and information for Playback practitioners on five continents.

Playback Theatre at Shands Hospital

This site explains quite nicely how this form of theraputic theatre can be used in a hospital setting. The site is very informative. The hospital is located in Jacksonville, Florida

Playback Theatre as a Methodology for Social Change 

This PDF File offers a nice explanation of this form of interactive theatre as well as information on its use.

Stopgap Theatre  

Based in Santa Ana, California, Stopgap Theatre's programs include: a touring/workshop component to the schools emphasizing the use of  intervention techniques, ongoing drama therapy groups with the aging, battered women, substance abusers, children in hospitals, etc., and a training program to teach other people how to use this method They are always undertaking new initiatives to help heal their community. This is an excellent website with a lot of useful information.   

Theraputic SOULSPEAK

"Therapeutic SOULSPEAK for at-risk children gives children a way to easily express unresolved conflicts and fears. It helps break down the increasing isolation of children, an isolation that often leads to the type of violence seen recently in our nation's schools."

Therapeutic SOULSPEAK taps into the unconscious almost effortlessly and is both healing and cathartic. It is a non-traumatic process that uses the oldest form of poetry, an oral, story-telling poetry, to allow children to easily express their deepest feelings. It is also a poetry that young people find instantly appealing. It is performed in antiphonal fashion (speaker-responder) to slow music, and is learned almost instantaneously by anyone, even slow learners. No previous knowledge of poetry, or even reading and writing is required. Our experience has shown that a large number of children continue to use SOULSPEAK on their own and even teach it to their parents."

The Usual Suspects

The Usual Suspects "was created in 1993 after the Los Angeles riots to empower young people by giving them a voice, and to ease racial tensions. The Unusual Suspects gives the kids an effective tool for communication by helping them to create original theatre drawn from their lives."

 

Theatre Resources for People who are Blind or Low-visioned 

AUDIODESCL

A discussion group for those interested in audio description, the process of providing aural information about performance and other public events for the blind, the visually impaired, and those with low vision. 

Blind Theatre Company - NEW LIFE (NOVI ZIVOT) Hrvatska - Zagreb - Croatia  

"The Blind Theatre company New Life will soon be celebrating the fifth decade of its work (1996). The fact that it is the only theatrical group of blind and visually impaired people in Europe gives the anniversary a special significance.". This is an interesting site, mostly a modest collection of articles on the company.    

Theatre By the Blind  

New York City Based Theater By The Blind (TBTB) aims to change the image of the blind from one of dependence to independence, to fight the stereotypes of the media and show how vibrant, fluid and exuberant the visually impaired can be, in order to reduce the terror that makes blindness the third most feared thing in this country after AIDS and cancer and keeps employment of the visually impaired limited to 26% of those aged 21 to 64. TBTB claims to be the only theater in the U.S. doing quality professional work to achieve this goal.

Theatre and Older Adults 

Senior Theatre Connections - the book  

This book, available for purchase online, aims to be a  source for complete information about the field of senior theatre.  The guide is intended to aid both beginners and professionals alike, providing useful tools for new or expanding performing arts programs for senior citizens.  Use it to locate theatre and dance groups, find playwrights and their scripts, discover resources and share ideas to create magic with older performers on stage. 

Senior Theatre League of America

"The mission of the Senior Theatre League is to provide a forum for lifelong learning in the theatre arts. Our membership is made up of people who want to celebrate life experience through theatre with older adults and with organizations who want to promote senior theatre."

Theatre Bringing Communities Together

The CEO was a Capulet - What can executives learn from William Shakespeare? 

This short article in USA Weekend Magazine demonstrates ways in which theatre and Shakespeare can be used to help hone the leadership skills of business executives.

Second Youth Theater

Founded in 1991 in an effort to create original high quality theatre accessible to all ages. Their mission to produce both original and established works of drama, comedy, musical theatre, and dance based on value and quality that will entertain as well as educate. The company strives to bring people of diverse cultural backgrounds, ages, ethnicity's, and religious beliefs together to celebrate life and discover the joy of live art. 

There's No Meetings Like Business Meetings 

Article on how Playback Theatre techniques can be used to enhance operations in the business community.

Theatre, AIDS, and Health Issues
Note: A number of programs listed above also include health and AIDS issues as part of their programming:

 

HealthWorks Theatre  

Based in Chicago,  HealthWorks Theatre was established by a group of actors, songwriters and friends to bring a new vitality to AIDS prevention education in the Midwest. Since its founding,  the  theatre company has expanded to address issues related to  violence prevention and has reached more than 350,000 people in 16 states with its plays, facilitated discussions, and messages of compassion and hope. 

Theatre in the Aftermath of 
September 11th

 

Theater and Terrorism -- By Bill Marx 

This is a really well written article on the choices facing the theatre community in the aftermath of September 11th 2001. "Theaters will either attempt to grapple seriously with what has happened or they will continue to serve up more forgetful escapism or left-wing platitudes."  

 

Misc.

Broadway Cares - Equity Fights Aids  

This website explains the program, it's history, and how the funds that are raised are used.

Applied and Interactive Theatre Forum 

Just as the name applies. Easy to contribute and participate in the discussions.

 
 
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Send mail to rfinkels@msn.com with questions or comments about this web site. Copyright © 2007  Last modified: August 06, 2007

  
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