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Core Activities |
THE DRAMA CIRCLE Promoting Bahá'í-inspired Theatre Initiatives |
Role-Playing | ||
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Goal 3: Clarify the Intentions Role-playing is a variation on the skit, yet with a distinct purpose. Here what is most important is not collaboration or the conveying of a point or a story. Here what is most important is the exploration of situations that are new or not-yet-integrated into our everyday behavior. Here we use the conceit of theatre as a safe forum to try out a role in which we might not be completely comfortable or effective in the "real world." Here there is room for mistakes as we try out ways of speaking and acting that may feel foreign. This method is frequently used in Ruhi Book 2 as we explore introducing significant spiritual subjects into our everyday conversations. The method should, however, be continued vigorously into the other books. In Ruhi Book 3, we will need to role-play multiple times the actions of a children's class teacher with the class. In Book 4, we role-play being a storyteller as we attempt to narrate those beautiful and holy episodes from our Faith's history. In Book 5, we will CERTAINLY want to role-play interactions with junior youth before working with the Energizer Bunnies themselves. In Book 6, the basic role is between the teacher of the Faith and the receptive soul. Finally, in Book 7, the relationship under consideration is that of tutor and study circle participant.
One recommendation for tutors of all of these books: pay attention to the participants who are role-playing the recipient roles (i.e., the children, the listeners, the junior youth, the seekers, the participants in a study circle, etc...) |
[Cont'd from previous column] At first, participants may be prone to "play-acting" as opposed to "role-playing." By that is meant they might indulge in behaving as children, for example, beyond what is helpful for the exercise. And indeed it might be funny, but as tutors we need to make sure the process is not shortchanged. So we can laugh and then gently remind them of the goal, which is to recreate the situation in order to familiarize the rising servant with the mechanics of their sacred act of service. There is another key consideration related to the role of the "recipients." Just as they should not be too indulgent in their roles, so too they should not be so easy-going that they provide no challenge to the participant assuming the active role. This would render the exercise a lost opportunity. For example, if the role-play is between "teacher" and "seeker," it is most helpful if the seeker responds more or less realistically to the teacher's words. If the teacher uses a term unfamiliar to non-Baha'is, the seeker might ask, "What does that mean?" If the teacher says something that might surprise, the seeker can express that. If the teacher says something moving, the seeker will acknowledge that. The key is honesty and re-creating the likely responses of the intended audience for the sake of the learning of both the individuals role-playing and the group as a whole. Theatre is not the same as pretend. Theatre is a pretense in which we find ourselves freed up to be truthful, sometimes even more than in "real life." |
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