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Theatre, Therapy and Personal Narrative: Developing a Framework for Safe, Ethical, Flexible and Intentional Practice in the Theatre of Personal Stories

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Theatre, Therapy and Personal Narrative: Developing a Framework for Safe, Ethical, Flexible and Intentional Practice in the Theatre of Personal Stories Theatre, Therapy and Personal Narrative: Developing a framework for safe, ethical, flexible and intentional practice in the theatre of personal stories Submitted by Clark Michael Baim to the University of Exeter as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Drama March 2018 This thesis is available for library use on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. I certify that all material in this thesis which is not my own work has been identified and that no material has previously been submitted and approved for the award of a degree by this or any other University. 1 This page is intentionally blank. 2 Abstract Contemporary theatre has crossed boldly into therapeutic terrain and is now the site of radical self-exposure. The recent and expanding use of people’s personal stories in the theatre has prompted the need for a robust framework for safe, ethical, flexible and intentional practice by theatre makers. Such a framework is needed due to the risks inherent in putting people’s private lives on the stage, particularly when their stories focus on unresolved difficulties and cross into therapeutic terrain. With this ethical and practical imperative in mind, and in order to create a broader spectrum of ethical risk-taking where practitioners can negotiate blurred boundaries in safe and creative ways, this study draws on relevant therapeutic theory and practice to re-connect therapy and theatre and promote best practice in the theatre of personal stories. In order to promote best practice in the theatre of personal stories (a term I will use to cover the myriad forms of theatre that make use of people’s personal stories), I describe a new framework that synthesises theory and practice from the fields of psychodrama, attachment narrative therapy, and theatre and performance studies. The benefits of this integrative framework for the theatre practitioner are that it promotes safer, more ethical and purposeful practice with personal stories, and encourages more confident and creative artistic expression. The framework provides these benefits because it offers a structured model for decision-making by theatre practitioners who work with personal stories, and suggests ways that the practitioner can explore fresh artistic possibilities with clear intentions and confidence about the boundaries and ethics of the work. The integrated framework has been developed through the grounded theory process of reflective inquiry, using in particular the models of action research, the Kolb experiential learning cycle and applied phronesis. The framework has four elements, which are explored respectively in chapters one to four: 1) History: understanding the roots of the theatre of personal stories in traditions of art, oral history, social activism, theatre and therapy; 2) Ethics: incorporating wide-ranging ethical issues inherent in staging personal stories; 3) Praxis: structuring participatory theatre processes to regulate the level of personal disclosure among participants (a model for structuring practice and regulating personal disclosure is offered — called the Drama Spiral); and 4) Intentions: working with a clear focus on specific intentions — especially bio-psycho-social integration — when working with personal stories. The study concludes, in chapter five, with a critical analysis of two exemplars of practice, examined through the lens of the Drama Spiral. Key words: applied theatre and performance, ethics, theatre of personal narrative, therapy, psychodrama, attachment narrative therapy, bio-psycho-social integration 3 This page is intentionally blank. 4 Table of Contents Abstract 3 List of figures 7 Acknowledgments 8 Introduction 9 The rapid rise of the theatre of personal stories 9 The impetus for this study 14 The key questions, argument and aims of this study 20 Key methodological approaches used in the research 27 Key theoretical and practical reference points for the research 38 Chapter 1: History: An archeology of the theatre of personal stories Introduction 41 Burgeoning forms of personal and collective narratives in the theatre 43 Socio-cultural and artistic contexts: An archeology of the theatre of personal stories 50 Conclusion 77 Chapter 2: Ethics: Principles and guidelines for ethical practice When using personal stories in the theatre Introduction 79 Defining and contrasting traditional and modern ethics 80 Working with vulnerability and risk through drama 84 Understanding power dynamics in the drama process 90 Guidelines for ethical practice when using personal narratives in the theatre 95 Chapter 3: Praxis: The Drama Spiral Introduction 131 The impetus for creating the Drama Spiral 132 The process of research leading to the creation of the Drama Spiral 134 The rhizomatic design of the Spiral 136 The Spiral as a decision-making model 138 Processes occurring at each ring of the Spiral: The four quadrants 139 Description of the six rings of the Spiral 148 The colours of the rings of the Spiral 164 The icons for each ring of the Spiral 165 Factors influencing which part of the Spiral is used 166 Drama-based strategies for regulating distance 168 Applying the Spiral: Some conclusions 175 5 Chapter 4: Intentions: The integrative imperative in the theatre of personal stories Introduction 181 Intentions of using people’s personal stories in the theatre 183 Intentions at the sixth ring of the Spiral: Integrating psychodrama and attachment narrative therapy in the theatre of personal stories 186 Working therapeutically with personal narrative: Psychodrama 189 Working therapeutically with personal narrative: Attachment narrative therapy 205 Promoting integration and healing in the theatre of personal stories 217 Five levels of integration 220 A caveat regarding working with people with unresolved trauma 231 Chapter 5: Exemplars: Two case studies examined through the lens of the Drama Spiral Introduction 237 Case study of a participatory theatre project using personal stories and rings one to five of the Drama Spiral 238 Case study two: Re-Live’s Memoria 247 Conclusion 257 References 261 Note about the use of my writing that has been published elsewhere: Chapters one, two and three of this study contain excerpts adapted from a chapter I have written for Risk, Participation and Performance Practice, edited by Alice O’Grady (Baim, 2017a). The entirety of that book chapter was written by me during the course of this study, i.e. since 2011. In addition, chapter four contains some excerpts adapted from writing that is exclusively mine, written during the time of this study, and published in Baim (2013, 2014, 2015a, 2017b). 6 List of figures Figure 0.1: David Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle 33 Figure 1.1: The Sanctuary of Asclepius, or Asclepieion, showing its position adjacent to the Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus, in Athens 72 Figure 2.1: Typical roles played out in conflict situations and in situations of abuse. 91 Figure 2.2: Barnes’ Risk Table 100 Figure 2.3: Conquergood’s grid showing ‘Moral Mapping of Performative Stances Towards the Other’ 106 Figure 3.1: The continuum of distant to personal scenes 136 Figure 3.2: The Drama Spiral: Regulating distance in participatory theatre and performance 142-143 7 Acknowledgments Many people have offered crucial advice, practical support, feedback, ideas and inspiration while I have worked on this study. First off, I offer my sincerest gratitude to my advisors Kerrie Schaefer and Sarah Goldingay, who offered such valuable academic support, mentoring and feedback on the drafts of this study. I am also grateful to Jane Milling, who was a valued member of the academic team supporting me at Exeter University, and Rebecca Hillman and Natasha Lushetich, who offered very helpful feedback and guidance at the mid-way stage. I also extend my heartfelt thanks to Fiona Macbeth, Simon Ripley, Carina, Isobel and Zoe Ripley, Megan Alrutz, the Patchwork Stories team, Andy Watson, Louise Heywood, Emma Smallman, Liz Brown and colleagues at Geese Theatre Company UK, Alison O’Connor and Karin Diamond at Re-Live Theatre, Elise Davison and Beth House at Taking Flight Theatre, Emma and Becky at ExStream Theatre, Karen Bassett at Theatre Wild, Emily Hunka at Theatre Troupe, Maria Zemlinskaya of Tout Ensemble, the cast and support staff for ‘The Girl Who Lost and Found,’ Craig Lundy, Robin Durie, Katrina Wyatt, Alice O’Grady, Kelli Zezulka, Valentina D’Efilippo, Lou Platt, Katie Greenwood, Anna Mason, Donna Tonkinson, Miriam Nash, Erin Walcon, Alyson Coupe, Eden Baim, Bridget Rothwell, Patricia Crittenden, Andrea Landini, Becca Carr-Hopkins, Eve Jones, Kate Massey-Chase, Kate Kirk, Chris Kozar, Elle Gianvanni and Lydia Guthrie. I am also very grateful to Alun Mountford, Sally Brookes, Simon Ruding, Mary and Clive Leyland, Chris Rozanski at the Birmingham Theatre School, Tony and Jacquie Morrison, Susie Taylor, John Casson, and friends and colleagues in the British Psychodrama Association (BPA), The Moreno Psychodrama Society in Australia, the International Association for Group Psychotherapy and Group Processes (IAGP), the Federation of European Psychodrama Training Organisations (FEPTO), the National Organisation for the Treatment of Abusers (NOTA), the Family Relations Institute (FRI), the International Association for the Study of Attachment (IASA), and Berry Street and the Berry Street Childhood Institute in Melbourne. I am deeply indebted to these friends and colleagues, who have offered inspiration, support,
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