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COMMUNITY THEATre

Introduction to Drama Therapy, Playback Theatre, and emergent creative art forms designed by Abram R. Katz

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Current offerings

Community Theatre: a series of dynamic self-expression, active listening, and group reflections, dancing on the razor’s edge of improvised play and deep collective healing. Derived from Playback Theatre and Drama Therapy forms, Abram will lead us through sharing and mirroring our collective stories.

 

These offering were created for everyone to be seen, heard, and truly valued within a private group or workplace setting. Individual stories, life experiences and dreams will be used as material for performance and reflection. Each session will include warmup exercises focused on basic improv. techniques surrounding giving offers, listening, trusting, staying in character, going with the flow and working together. Traditional Playback Theatre forms such as fluid sculptures, pairs, and long-form playbacks will make up the bulk of our sessions together, as well as emergent forms of Psychodrama designed by Abram to carry us further into the infinite potential of reparative witnessing - simply witnessing one another without judgement through a lens of loving kindness.

Theatre modalities for wellness and transformation:

 

Wellness Exercises: Playback Theatre

 

Pairs – One person shares two contrasting feelings they are experiencing and two members of the group embody these elements through a short interactive performance.

Moving Sculptures – One person tells a short story from their life and a group of 4-5 participants capture the basic essence of the story through a sequence of movements and phrases.

Long-from Playbacks – Similar to Moving Sculptures, one person shares a story and the group plays it back with a full cast of characters and scenes. (Note: Emphasis is on the sharing and listening component over any performative elements)

 

Transformation Exercises: Psychodrama

 

Witnessed Self-Reflection - Here we gaze at ourselves in a hand-mirror within a public setting and respond verbally with what we see. Shares are then recapitulated by 4-5 participants in a spontaneous spoken-word performance.

Answering the Call – Here we answer an imaginary phone call from someone you have unfinished business with or would simply like to remember. The facilitator will "ring you" and you can keep answering the call until it feels complete.

Addressing a Photograph – Here we speak to a photo of our younger selves as an adult, using role-reversals and character embodiment to strengthen a deep, loving relationship with all of your selves.

Amplifying the Critic – Here we give full voice to our inner critics with the intension of seeing it for what it is and changing our relationship to it.

** Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Statement: All workshops and seminars are an open platform for exploring internalized messages of hate and bias, feelings of low self-worth, institutional racism, sexism, embracing non-binary and queer stories in the collective narrative, and making sure underrepresented voices are given deliberate amplification and care. Shared life experiences are built into the very nature of this work and ultimately lead to a profound level of empathy that makes EDI an undeniable lived truth.

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