Therapeutic Puppetry
"...The use of puppetry to create a safe space in which situations that are too overwhelming or emotionally charged to deal with directly can be addressed through the "dramatic remove" of puppet theatre."
Participants enter an arena where limitations of the everyday world are suspended and overwhelming situations can be considered in a manageable scale. Participants take on an active role as both creator and actor in a drama over which they have control. At the same time, they can enact the drama through the puppets without having to reveal themselves directly, allowing for a greater freedom of expression. Insight gained in puppet theatre can then be utilized in addressing real challenges in the real world. This approach has proved to be an empowering experience for those who have been traumatized by accident, ability or circumstance beyond their control.
I have worked in many grant funded programs using puppet and mask theatre with at risk populations in the Central Ohio area, including:
- Children of terminally ill parents for OSU's James Cancer Center, Kids Can Cope program
- Incarcerated teens at Riverview State Juvenile Correctional Facility
- Special Needs Head Start preschoolers at Liberty Community Center
- Senior Citizens at Park Avenue Senior Center and Shawnee Hills Senior Center
- Open Hearts Project - Children from homes where parents were absent because of incarceration, death or conflicted divorce
- Conference for Theatre Accessibility - workshop for Differently abled Performing artists
Workshops currently offered: