Participating in a community theatre production: A dramatherapeutic perspective

Abstract

This phenomenological study was conducted with eight members of a community theatre group who recreated an old time music hall performance in January 2004. The study explored participants' experiences of taking part in this chosen leisure activity, focusing on any personal enrichment that might ensue. While personal enrichment is a term often used in dramatherapy, and in community theatre, few studies have investigated a potential link. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews conducted with a purposive sample of members of both the cast and the production team. Respondents' perceptions of their community theatre experience proved to be multi-faceted, relating to personal development and/or learning, challenge, compromise and co-operation, individual and/or collective validation, increased awareness of community identity, developing creativity and a sense of empowerment and/or escape. Participants also reported a range of tangible individual benefits from their experiences. These included friendship, improved confidence, a feeling of being valued, increased self-esteem, enjoyment, the opportunity to be ‘someone else’ and encouragement to learn new skills. Participants' experiences fostered their personal and collective creativity in many ways. Many of these findings have implications for drama used for therapeutic purposes. In conclusion, this study explored participants' experience and music hall experience. The results showed that, far from being a simple staging of old songs in a recreated historical setting, those who took part saw their experience as one of myriad opportunities, developing their knowledge, skills and attitudes, and enriching their lives.