Positive Psychosocial Experiences of a Physical Theater Class Among College Students

Abstract

Based on the 2023 Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, 50% of young adults (18-24 years old) experience anxiety and depression, compared to about 32% of all adults. The rising mental health problems among young adults may link to lingering covid-19 pandemic issues, such as social isolation and lockdowns, excessive screen use, decreased academic progress and opportunities, economic instability, poor lifestyle choices like decreased physical activity, disease, disability, and the death epidemic in the USA. Given the importance of physical activity, it is imperative to identify meaningful and enjoyable physical activity programs among young adults. Based on the philosophical underpinnings of phronesis (practical wisdom/moral reasoning), the purpose of this interdisciplinary, phronetic, qualitative, and temporal study was to examine the psychosocial experiences of a semester-long physical theater class among eight college students (4 males and 4 females). The class met twice per week, 1.5 hours/time and its content included physically demanding, playful, embodied, individual and group-based exercises, such as dance and aerial dance, calisthenics, stage combat with swords, activities to improve body posture and awareness, and bodily expression. Students created etudes and performed formally during midterm and finals weeks and informally before their classmates and class instructors. Individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted twice (in the beginning of the semester and towards the end of the class) to qualitatively collect the study’s data. Interview questions were about prior experience with physical theater, exercise levels, mental health and physical health, individual and social aspects in performativity, life priorities, and class goals. Based on hermeneutics/phronetic phenomenology, two themes emerged from the qualitative data analysis. In the first theme, psychological experiences, study participants mentioned that their mental health improved (e.g., decreased depression, anxiety, and body tension). Two students occasionally felt frustrated about their performance, especially the one without any previous physical theater experience. Based on the second theme, positive social experiences, study participants discussed how they effectively worked together (e.g., coordinate actions and share stories and emotions) to learn from each other and enjoy the experience. Only during the first set of the interviews (beginning of the semester), did some participants express occasional feelings of self-consciousness and nervousness when performing before others. However, they shared ways to overcome those feelings, such as being open to freely express themselves like others in the profession, separating themselves from their character, exercising the actor’s reset, and blocking everything out (e.g., audience). Practitioners in Kinesiology and performing arts (e.g., dance and physical theater) should emphasize physically demanding, safe, bodily, creative, playful, and group-based exercises among college students. Corporeal and creative expression within a supportive community-based movement program can increase mental health, positive social relations, and thus well-being.