Open Forum
The Power of Theater to Promote
Individual Recovery and Social Change
David A. Faigin, M.A.
Catherine H. Stein, Ph.D.
Although theatrical activities are
used in a variety of therapeutic
settings, little attention has been
paid to the ways that theater can
enhance the recovery process and
community integration for people
living with psychiatric disabilities.
Community-based theater involv-
ing people with psychiatric disabil-
ities offers unique opportunities
for personal growth, social con-
nection, and advocacy efforts. This
Open Forum posits that theater
has the power to both facilitate in-
dividual recovery and improve the
social conditions of people living
with mental illness. Critical ele-
ments of theatrical activities that
relate to processes of recovery and
community integration are exam-
ined. Implications for future re-
search and program development
are discussed. (Psychiatric Ser-
vices 61:306–308, 2010)
T heatrical expression is an ancient
tradition and has taken on count-
less forms and purposes throughout
history. The purpose of this Open Fo-
rum is to outline how theatrical activ-
ities can serve as a catalyst for positive
personal and social change for people
living with psychiatric disabilities.
Given the lack of previous research in
this area, this Open Forum essay is in-
tended to provide an initial frame-
work upon which future discussion
and study can be based. We begin
with a summary of ways in which the
theatrical and mental health arenas
have historically overlapped, particu-
Mr. Faigin and Dr. Stein are affiliated with
the Department of Psychology, Bowling
Green State University, Bowling Green,
OH 43403 (e-mail: dfaigin@gmail.com).
306
larly in community-based theater set-
tings. Next, we highlight a set of key
elements of theater that can serve to
improve the lives of people with psy-
chiatric disabilities. We conclude with
a set of recommendations for future
theory and research.
Theater and clinical psychology
The union of theatrical expression
and clinical psychology is perhaps
best known in the context of the tra-
ditions of psychodrama and drama
therapy (1). Drama therapy has theo-
retical roots spanning a wide array of
psychological and sociological orien-
tations, including psychoanalysis, de-
velopmental psychology, object rela-
tions theory, symbolic interaction the-
ory, and humanistic approaches (1).
In psychotherapy, drama is used as a
way to enhance self-esteem and self-
knowledge, explore and process trau-
matic events, bolster creative prob-
lem-solving skills, and treat personal-
ity disorders and mood disorders
(2,3). However, the power of theater
may also manifest in its ability to chal-
lenge stereotypes about mental ill-
ness and to provide valued social roles
to individuals coping with psychiatric
disabilities.
Community-based theater
One of the ways that citizens with a
variety of marginalized social identi-
ties come together to be heard and in-
fluence their communities is through
“applied,” or what we classify as
“community-based,” theater (4,5).
An important distinction exists be-
tween what is commonly known as
“community” or “amateur” theater
within the United States, and theatri-
cal settings that can be classified as
“community-based theater.” Both of
PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES o ps.psychiatryonline.org o March 2010 Vol. 61 No. 3
these settings may include amateur
actors, but “community-based the-
ater” is a form of grassroots theater
that specifically promotes a political
or social discourse based on issues
relevant to the local community or
society at large. In contrast “ama-
teur,” “community,” or “regional”
theater companies generally mimic
professional theater settings, offer
performance and technical theater
opportunities for nonprofessional
artists, tend to produce established
and well-known plays, and are prima-
rily focused on entertainment value
and financial sustainability.
Community-based theater is a form
of sociopolitical theater that takes a
critical position toward social issues,
often focuses on creating original
works, aims to raise awareness, and
works to alleviate social frustrations
and conflict. This form of theater
functions from a community-citizen
empowerment and social justice per-
spective and is designed to be inclu-
sive (4). Community-based theater ac-
tivities often exist outside mainstream
theater institutions and are intended
to benefit not only individual partici-
pants but also communities and soci-
eties (5). These are interdisciplinary
and hybrid practices based within a
wide variety of contexts around the
world. Community-based theater
projects emphasize the dialogical na-
ture and ongoing process of creating
empowering workshops and perform-
ances. These are often grounded in
established theoretical or logistical
structures, such as Playback Theater,
Sociodrama, Theatre of the Op-
pressed, or Agit-Prop Theater.
Community-based theater pro-
grams are sometimes found in tradi-
tional “playhouse” settings but can
also be associated with community
arts initiatives, public health pro-
grams, or established social service
programs. Community-based theater
initiatives take many forms. Some are
focused on organizing and maintain-
ing a troupe of actors and writers who
remain together for several years.
Other initiatives may be more time
limited and culminate in a single per-
formance for the local community, an
agency, community group, or specific
population. Mental health issues,
poverty, HIV or drug-use prevention,
domestic violence, women’s rights,
disability rights, and war veteran
readjustment are just a few of the is-
sues that community-based theater
projects have addressed around the
world.
Community-based theater
and psychiatric disabilities
One burgeoning community-based
theater setting involves people living
with psychiatric disabilities. For ex-
ample, people with psychiatric dis-
abilities are currently involved in
community partnerships between lo-
cal theater companies and psychoso-
cial rehabilitation clubhouses. In one
model of such a partnership, mem-
bers of a clubhouse can participate in
a theater troupe that creates original
scripted performances designed to
educate audiences about mental
health issues and fight stigma sur-
rounding mental illness (6). The artis-
tic and managing directors of these
troupes are often trained, paid staff of
a mental heath organization or local
theater company; however, troupe
members are involved in all aspects of
script writing, performing, and pro-
duction. Rehearsal and performance
space may be offered by a mental
health service agency partner, a local
amateur or professional theater com-
pany, or a city or state human services
agency. Fiscal support for communi-
ty-based theater is at times funded by
a grant or an agency, but many groups
are self-supported through donations
or ticket sales.
Community-based theater activi-
ties involving people living with psy-
chiatric disabilities exist along a spec-
trum—at one end the activities are
completely organized, maintained,
and financed within a mental health
PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES o ps.psychiatryonline.org o March 2010 Vol. 61 No. 3
service agency or psychiatric rehabili-
tation program; at the other they exist
completely independently from a
mental health agency. Although there
is little systematic understanding of
the impact of community-based the-
ater for this population, research has
highlighted positive psychological
and social outcomes of theater proj-
ects in nontreatment settings with
such groups as marginalized women
(5) and students (7). Previous re-
search with both directors and actors
in community-based theater groups
involving people living with mental
illness has identified several critical
themes. These themes include the
development of a sense of empower-
ment and personal gains among
troupe members, challenges to sus-
tainability of the troupe, relationships
between agency or community gate-
keepers and troupe members, and
development of autonomy and own-
ership by troupe members with psy-
chiatric disabilities (8).
Core components of
community-based theater
After reviewing the literature ad-
dressing recovery processes, mutual
support, and community integration,
we found several core components of
theater that can contribute to positive
change for people with psychiatric
disabilities at both personal and com-
munity levels. These core elements of
theater include processes of group
cohesion and affiliation, common
goals, common experiences, setting
characteristics of openness and inclu-
sion, opportunities for community
connections and integration, flexibili-
ty, and ownership.
Community-based theater involves
a sense of group cohesion and affilia-
tion, and it can offer opportunities for
actors living with psychiatric disabili-
ties to feel that they are valued mem-
bers of a group. Group work in the-
ater involves various socially cohesive
forces, including trust, risk taking,
safety, and teamwork (4). As the
group works together creatively, indi-
vidual members may feel growth in
their identity as a creative person and
discover that they are capable of help-
ing other members succeed. Theater
thus creates an opportunity to play a
valued social role in helping others.
Valued roles can be especially power-
ful for adults with psychiatric disabil-
ities, because they are generally mar-
ginalized and often face constant im-
plicit and explicit reminders that they
are not part of community life. Group
membership and a sense of affiliation
contribute to growth processes in the
lives of people with psychiatric dis-
abilities. Furthermore, group involve-
ment can lead to decreased isolation
and increased social cohesion and has
been found to have a positive impact
on recovery from mental illness (9).
Another fundamental element of
theatrical activities is a sense of com-
mon goals, whether the dramatic ac-
tivities are structured (such as re-
hearsal and performance of a scripted
play) or are more improvisational and
unstructured. In a more structured
context, the common goal may be
making a high-quality presentation
for an audience by the opening night
of performance. In unstructured con-
texts, with a focus on play and explo-
ration, the common goal may be
openness to the creative moment (4)
or challenging the other actors on
stage. Previous research on group
empowerment processes for people
living with mental illness have high-
lighted the importance of having
common goals and visions of the fu-
ture (10).
Another powerful component of
community-based theater is the shar-
ing of common experiences. Theater
groups focused on examining social
issues through their works often share
common experiences in their day-to-
day lives that relate to these issues.
Theatrical endeavors may address the
participants’ common experiences in
regard to such issues as stigma, hospi-
talization, and navigating mental
health services. The commonalities in
the lived experience of actors with
psychiatric disabilities may serve a
mutually supportive function, creat-
ing an environment where personal
change processes can occur and
group empowerment is enhanced.
Theatrical settings may also foster
an expanded sense of self for partici-
pants when those settings are focused
on openness and inclusion. Many
grassroots and community-based the-
ater initiatives are fundamentally de-
signed to be inclusive and accessible
307
to community members. Research on
recovery processes highlights how
sense of self can be affected by the
situational opportunities that help
one activate and acknowledge per-
sonal strengths (11). Here, theater of-
fers a bridge between personal devel-
opment and community integration
for people with psychiatric disabili-
ties. The inclusive nature of the set-
ting connects person to community,
and personal identity to community
identity.
Dramatic exploration is naturally
flexible. As an actor develops a char-
acter or as the physical movements of
the actors in a scene are blocked out,
a process of trial and error occurs.
This process offers opportunities to
develop problem-solving skills and
creates an atmosphere where it is safe
and acceptable to make mistakes.
Mental health challenges have a ten-
dency to interrupt the flow of daily
living. Thus many people with severe
mental difficulties have trouble find-
ing settings where structural flexibili-
ty exists and where their efforts are
adequately supported. Previous stud-
ies of people with psychiatric disabili-
ties in academic and employment set-
tings have emphasized the impor-
tance of structural flexibility. Com-
munity-based theater can act as a
unique setting that offers actors with
disabilities critical accommodation
and flexibility.
Finally, the issue of ownership in
theatrical activities relates to both per-
sonal and social change processes. An
actor who copes with psychiatric dis-
abilities may feel a sense of personal
ownership in dramatic activities at
several levels—in the particular char-
acter she or he is playing on stage and
at a broader organizational level, to-
ward the theater troupe of which she
or he is a member. This sense of per-
sonal ownership may enhance self-ef-
ficacy and pride in the creative activi-
ties. To the extent that a theatrical
group involving people with psychi-
308
atric disabilities is situated in a larger
community context, the group owner-
ship of the troupe may enhance a feel-
ing of community integration as well.
Future directions
When studying the outcomes and im-
pact of theatrical activities involving
people with psychiatric disabilities,
researchers would do well to consider
the lived experiences of the actors
and the varied contexts of the set-
tings. Both quantitative and qualita-
tive studies could focus on the influ-
ence of theatrical expression on out-
come variables such as sense of self,
community integration, and quality of
life. In addition, employment status,
membership in other mutual-aid
groups, and involvement with mental
health services could be incorporated
into research on community-based
theater settings involving this popula-
tion. Moreover, studies of communi-
ty-based theater settings need to go
beyond the investigation of individual
outcomes and investigate the impact
of activities and performances at the
community level as well.
Public attitudes about mental ill-
ness are often shaped by negative,
stereotypical, and unrealistic portray-
als in popular media. Theatrical arts
involving people with psychiatric dis-
abilities may offer communities a
more balanced and realistic portrait of
mental illness. Audience members are
offered the opportunity to have per-
sonal contact with the actors and view
them in a valued social role, which can
decrease stigmatizing attitudes. A de-
crease in stigmatizing attitudes after
witnessing theatrical performance by
and about people with psychiatric dis-
abilities has been demonstrated in the
case of college student audiences (6).
Future research could help elucidate
complexities of local factors related to
theatrical initiatives, shed light on set-
ting and organizational constraints,
and help facilitators tailor future ini-
tiatives more adroitly.
PSYCHIATRIC SERVICES o ps.psychiatryonline.org o March 2010 Vol. 61 No. 3
The core ingredients of theatrical
activities highlighted here offer excit-
ing opportunities for personal growth,
as well as community integration and
advocacy for citizens with psychiatric
disabilities. As therapeutic services in
community-action settings expand,
collaboration among consumers,
artists, and mental health profession-
als can harness the power of theater
to enhance both personal growth and
societal change.
Acknowledgments and disclosures
The authors report no competing interests.
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