Health TheatRe

Abstract

Research-based theater is increasingly valued as a means of enhancing understanding of lived experience in different groups and communities. This innovative use of theater is being applied within various disciplines, including health research. In this chapter, we explore the use of research-based theater in three health-related projects, each of which focuses on a different application of research-based theater. The first highlights the use of theater to disseminate research findings; the second looks at the use of theater in developing a therapeutic intervention; and the third is concerned with the use of theater as a means of engaging citizens in health policy development. We conclude the chapter by discussing two salient ethical and methodological issues arising from the use of research-based theater in these three projects: (1) artistic expertise or professionalism and (2) authorship and its attribution in collaborative, creative work.