ABSTRACT
Psychodrama, created by psychiatrist Jacob Marino in the 1920s, was built around a theatrical model that utilized improvisation and role play as a form of experiential therapy. Using methods such as “role reversal,” a deeper and fuller understanding of a life event and the people and relationships involved can emerge. Kaye describes how he has taken these techniques and adapted them as a physical approach to group playwriting. He takes the reader through a process that includes various sociometry-based warm-up exercises designed to prepare a group for psychodramatic explorations, as well as a step-by-step process into scene enactment. Adapted psychodrama techniques such as doubling, divided doubles, and surplus realities are explained and incorporated. This process provides for an immersive group playwriting experience and can be applied to fictional or non-fictional characters and stories.
