A Space to Speak: Therapeutic Theater to Address Gender-Based Violence. (November 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Arias, Gabrielle; Dennis, Christina; Loo, Stephenie; Lazier, Amy Larson; Moye, Kathleen D.; Moye, Kathleen; O'Connor, Chelsey; Rich, Anna; Weinberg, Molly; Butler, Jason D.
• Other Names: Chhabra Meenakshi guest-editor.; Fiore Lisa B. guest-editor.; Pérez-Villanueva Sonia guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Violence against women. Volume 26:Number 14(2020)
• Page Start: 1771
• Page End: 1789
• Publication Date: 2020-11
• Subjects: gender-based violence -- therapeutic theater -- drama therapy -- performance -- devised theater -- performance ethnography; Abused women -- Periodicals; Women -- Crimes against -- Periodicals; Violent crimes -- Periodicals; Femmes victimes de violence -- Périodiques; Femmes, Crimes contre les -- Périodiques; Crimes violents -- Périodiques; 362.8292
• DOI: 10.1177/1077801220942835
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1077-8012

Abstract

This article examines the experience of eight graduate students in the drama therapy program at Lesley University when creating and performing a theater piece centered around gender-based violence. The performance piece, A Space to Speak, used the performers' real-life stories to highlight their vastly different, yet strikingly similar, experiences and invited the audience to examine their own relationship to those stories. A description of the process used to create and perform the piece is followed by a discussion of the impact the process had on the performers and audience members.