Silence Please: Dramatic Healing Rehearsals In Progress

“All the world’s a stage, and all men and women are merely players.” — William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

While Shakespeare saw the stage theatre as a metaphor for life, experts believe that his epic lines are the best way to describe drama therapy. Drama therapy is beneficial for everyone, not just those who have suffered trauma or mental illness, according to a post made by actress, artist, and adventurer Anna Cameron, who developed the Drama Therapy Programme. “In a secure social atmosphere, I want to give

people the chance to express their creativity,” Cameron adds. Sometimes talking things out with a therapist is insufficient for the person they are seeing. Drama therapy gives patients the chance to act out their deepest fears or relive certain situations.

Makes You Alive

Creative expression as a form of healing is a process that has been widely accepted by many cultures throughout history. “For me, any art form, be it theatre, music, dance, or painting, will all give you solace and peace and make you understand that you too are humans. These art forms in general make one alter their thought processes and their mindsets.

A person’s perspective changes with their introduction to these beautiful art forms. While other art forms make you realise, drama or theatre makes you relive the situation. Go through the process, and come out strong, confident, and emotionally balanced,” says Dr Ram Holagundi, theatre practitioner and director of Nishumbita School of Drama.

Drama Gives Rebirth

Drama therapy takes those emotional gains to another level. It uses drama and theatre processes intentionally to achieve therapeutic goals. “It makes life easy for health care professionals, educators, and performing artists as it can effectively be used as a means and tool for communication and complete transformation of the patient’s mental health conditions and mindsets as the process addresses the issues in a play way method and does not put any kind of pressure on the patient’s mental health, be it their anxiety issues, emotional status, or behavioural patterns,” says Dr Ram, adding, “But it is not an easy one until and unless one thoroughly understands the nuances of drama as therapy.”

A Cathartic Experience

Acting promotes healing by offering a unique and powerful avenue for emotional expression, exploration, and catharsis. “It provides a platform for emotional expression, allowing actors to channel and release their own emotions through the characters they portray. This cathartic process can help them confront and work through personal issues or traumas. Additionally, the collaborative nature of theatre fosters a sense of community and support among cast and crew, creating a safe space for actors to explore and heal,” says Sooraj Sharma, a theatre actor. “Through the therapy, we try to push out rather than flush out all of these pent-up emotions — maybe anger, sadness, fear, grudges — anything to bring back normalcy. Now any kind of emotion that hurts a human being should be released, and drama therapy acts as a catalyst and helps in the outburst—it is that stress buster that creates the magic, be it a slow learner, a person with speech disabilities, anger issues, so on and so forth. The methods and processes adapted are really engaging and supportive,” adds Dr Ram.

Psychodynamic therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) are two major schools of thought in the therapy field. “A theatre practitioner with clinical experience uses different movements, storytelling, puppets, different voices, and other theatre techniques and exercises to treat the patients with the support of a team of mental health doctors,” explains Dr. Ram, adding, “A psychodrama is a beautiful version wherein a roleplay is enacted or recreated and the traumatic experience is visualised or relieved by the patients so that they face the problem and find the solution or come out of the situation with a supportive solution created by the therapist, making way for stress relief and rehabilitation in different types and formats. We at Nishumbita support autistic children, people with CBT, OCD, talking therapy, IPT, and MBCT too.”

A Theatrical Catalyst

In a world besieged with uncertainty and adversity, drama therapy builds emotional resilience. “Drama helps in addressing complex emotions and helps individuals embark on a transformative journey of personal growth. With each character, a person becomes self-aware, explores different scenarios, finds their unique voice, and ultimately builds better relationships,” says Devika Das, author, theatre artist, and actor. A rising number of organisations are embracing drama as an instructional and therapeutic tool, employing professional actors’ advanced methods as well as novices’ improvisations. “Through role play, people struggling with low self-esteem and social isolation can build confidence. Mental health professionals with a theatre background help create a safe environment where individuals can explore and reflect without judgment. In clinical psychology, drama therapy offers different avenues to process trauma, manage stress, and enhance self-awareness,” says Devika.

Calling Drama Queens

“We’ve been taught since childhood to conform to society’s conventions, such as not laughing too loudly, speaking gently, not sobbing, and not being a drama queen. Until you reach adulthood, you live in a hard shell, suppressing your feelings in order to fit into the social structure. Theatre allows you to be the drama queen, to break all the rules of your emotions and express them as loudly as possible. It allows you to express yourself freely and brings you out of your shell,” says Seema Khan, a theatre enthusiast.

Under The Spotlight

Theatre also requires a certain level of fitness as well. “Various physical activities and breathing techniques utilised during rehearsals enable you to maintain your fitness. Facial expressions, games, jumping, singing, and dancing are some of the exercises performed during rehearsals that bring out the child in you. Social engagement with the crew, as well as creative teamwork, relaxes you, takes your mind off your concerns, and provides you with enjoyment. Stage performances make you humbler. On the one hand, it provides a sense of accomplishment; on the other, it teaches you to accept your mistakes, learn from them, and go forward,” adds Seema.

Roleplay involves creating an imaginative setting to examine life experiences

Using items and materials: Using objects as a cypher to deal with difficult emotions or experiences

Masks and costumes represent the self and self-image

Using play, storytelling, and fables: Looks for problems within events or issues

Creating a “ritual” to acknowledge life milestones

Acting in stages, discovering new methods to connect with oneself and others

The Act of Healing

Drama therapy is beneficial for those with autism and substance abuse

Jacob L. Moreno founded the notion in the early 20th century, and by the mid-century, it had evolved into a separate therapeutic strategy that included psychology, expressiv5e arts, and theatre

Through role play, people struggling with low self-esteem and social isolation can build confidence. Mental health professionals with a theatre background help create a safe environment where individuals can explore and reflect without judgment. In clinical psychology, drama therapy offers different avenues to process trauma, manage stress, and enhance self-awareness — Devika Das, author, theatre artist, and actor

It provides a platform for emotional expression, allowing actors to channel and release their own emotions through the characters they portray.” — Sooraj Sharma, a theatre actor

While other art forms make you realise, drama or theatre makes you relive the situation. Go through the process and come out strong, confident, and emotionally balanced.” — Dr Ram Holagundi, theatre practitioner & director, Nishumbita School of Drama