285 “Stages” of Hope: Theater as a Research and Outreach Modality for Generating Knowledge, Understanding, and Healing

Abstract

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Theater has always served as a means of reflecting and understanding the human condition. Participatory theater further offers the option for viewers to participate in and thus additionally benefit from the performance itself. We use Playback Theater for outreach and research, eliciting information to guide research, education, and engagement. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Playback Theater is a type of improvisation that involves audience members recounting personal experiences which are then enacted by a theater troupe. Playback has evolved to include storytelling as a means of expressing and understanding difficult life experiences such as violence, bullying, incarceration, disaster, illness, etc. While not intended as therapy, it has been found to provoke insight and catharsis when used by trained practitioners. We are conducting Playback theater with LGBTQ+ and African American women to elucidate health disparities related to HIV/AIDS. Black/African Americans accounted for 42.1% of cases in 2019, and African American females are 15 times more likely to develop AIDS than white females. We hope to elucidate barriers to screening and treatment to inform early intervention. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: In community engagement, we employ a variety of strategies involving storytelling, since this simple act fosters multiple positive outcomes. For example, by talking about their experiences participants might find clarity about a difficult experience, facilitating coping or healing, or even letting go. By sharing their stories, others (clinicians, researchers, other patients, or the public) can learn what it is like to go through a particular illness or event. This knowledge can be used to allay patient fears or help researchers or clinicians to develop programming that better responds to needs. This novel approach to knowledge sharing also allows communication that may not otherwise be possible. Discussions about sensitive topics are enabled, often leading to shared understanding and potential solutions. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Through Playback Theater, we hope to identify and thus be able to address barriers to early screening and treatment for African American women and the LGBTQ+ population. We are also planning an event with children with cancer and their families to better understand their experiences and needs in both the clinical and familial settings.