ABSTRACT
Revd. Roger Grainger (1934–2015) is one of the major theorists in the field of dramatherapy. His several books and articles are a quest for drama's profoundest principles, analyzing in detail the mysterious mechanisms presiding over theatre, ritual and children's dramatic play and showing how they connect with human nature. According to Grainger, the structure of drama has a healing potential in itself, being fundamentally modelled on ritual, and he emphasized that in order to understand these processes, the notion of space plays a central role. From a dramatic point of view, space is neither an inert entity, or an empty container for physical bodies to act. Rather, it is a vibrant and meaningful co-constructed microcosmos, created by human relationships and serving them, and endowed with a spiritual, ego-transcending value. The creation of such a space parallels in many ways the bond-making process in human beings: Grainger stressed the concept of Betweenness, the space that divides and connects in which I can be with the other while not becoming the other. The author maintains that Grainger's notion of space, which is theatrically and philosophically founded, can be a precious guide both to understand the healing power of dramatherapy and to refine its practical tools. Having had the privilege of meeting him in person, in this essay the author will attempt a dialogue with this great soul, using as a guide a motto he often uttered in his workshops: ‘Clear the space. Claim the space. Sanctify the space’.
