Theatre Therapy

I saw a play tonight. It was wonderful. I love going to plays.


The play is "Circle Mirror Transformation," by Annie Baker, was produced by a Baylor University grad student working towards a masters in directing. Follows is the description in the playbill: "When four lost New Englanders who enroll in Marty's six-week-long community-center drama class begin to experiment with harmless games, hearts are quietly torn apart, and tiny wars of epic proportions are waged and won. A beautifully crafted diorama, a petri dish in which we see, with hilarious detail and clarity, the antic sadness of a motley quintet."


The opening is five people laying on the floor playing the counting game. For those in the theatre department, you know what I'm talking about. They also played the game that you walk around the space being aware of your surroundings and how you fit into it. There were a couple more that I recognized, and it was clear who in the audience was familiar with them and who was not. I felt like I was part of a small, exclusive group. It was wonderful.


It was just really interesting to see these games I've played for the last three years in a different context. They were used for therapy purposes, and for four of the five characters, they did not have a positive affect on their issues. The issues were brought up to the surface, but they were not dealt with in a healthy way. It was so interesting to process through. 


I am a firm believer that the arts can bring healing and empower people, but when done by people who have no idea to help with the issues brought up, good efforts can become crippling.  It was good to look at as I help with a theatre program for students that will have to process through their decisions and their after affects. 


I then got a tour of Baylor University's theatre department, or at least what was unlocked at 9:00 p.m. They have around 20 professors and staff in their department and a 125 cap of undergraduates, as well as graduate students in their department. They have three great performing spaces, and a fly system, which I was envious over. It was very cool.


I am so glad I got to go. There is nothing better for me than seeing a play on a whim. Thirty minutes before it started I didn't know I was going. It was lovely. It was kind of therapeutic for me, let me live in a different world for 90 minutes. I like that. 


Until next time, find something therapeutic to do for yourself.