Using Applied Theater to Promote Social-Emotional Health in Adolescents

Abstract

Abstract:Applied theater offers an innovative blend of art, psychoeducation, and nontraditional therapeutic group facilitation to activate social-emotional learning. Through theater-based programming, groups become engaged, identify with characters, and participate in stimulating discussions related to emotionally charged topics. One applied theater organization, InterACT New York, uses trained actors to enact improvised scenarios for groups of adolescents. The scenarios cover sensitive topics relevant to the everyday issues facing today’s youths, such as bullying, cyberbullying, prejudice, racism, sexual assault, anxiety, self-harm, and depression. After each scenario, group participants interact with the actors by asking questions, making comments, and proposing solutions related to enacted scenes. Actors respond while remaining in character, and with the aid of a trained social work facilitator, illuminating group discussions ensue. This article describes the positive prosocial responses of adolescents engaged in an applied theater program focused on cyberbullying. It highlights one online group experience involving InterACT New York and a diverse group of suburban middle school students.