Performing Depression: The Workman Theatre Project and the Making of<i>Joy. A Musical. About Depression</i>

Johnston, Kirsty

doi:10.1080/10462930701754473

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Not surprisingly, theater has long been used to critique social issues and raise public awareness (e.g., "Theater of the Oppressed"; Boal, 1979) and is an effective tool to improve mental health knowledge (Kosyluk et al, 2018(Kosyluk et al, , 2021b and reduce stigma (Hawke et al, 2014;Massa et al, 2020;Michalak et al, 2014;Roberts et al, 2007;Skrine Jeffers et al, 2021). The types of theater performances in mental health stigma reduction work vary and include musicals and operas (Johnston, 2008;Kosyluk et al, 2018Kosyluk et al, , 2021bSherman et al, 2021;Skrine Jeffers et al, 2021;Walton, 2018), plays (Hawke et al, 2014;Michalak et al, 2014;Roberts et al, 2007;Wasmuth et al, 2022), playback theater and improvisation (Yotis et al, 2017), poetry, monologues, and comedy (Kosyluk et al, 2018(Kosyluk et al, , 2021a.…”

Section: Recipientmentioning

confidence: 99%

Who is afraid of Hermy and Jimmy? Relating to and normalizing psychosis through theater.

Landa,

Levitt,

Jespersen

et al. 2023

Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal

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Objective: Psychotic experiences, such as hearing voices that others do not hear, being afraid of threats that others do not perceive, or believing in ideas that others find implausible can be confusing for those who face them and challenging to relate to for those who do not, leading to alienation and social exclusion. The objective of this article is to discuss how immersion in theater can enhance our understanding of human nature and facilitate a social environment that supports the recovery of individuals with psychosis. Methods: Drawing on theories of the psychology of art and narrative psychology, this conceptual article discusses a theatrical production, a play, titled “Voices,” created by a person with lived experience of voice hearing. We apply Semenov’s model of art as a social psychological system as a guiding framework to focus on the roles of the art product, artist–author, artist–performer, and recipient. Results: Theater is a uniquely reciprocal art form where actors and spectators share emotional, intellectual, and cathartic experiences, which could foster interpersonal connection, personal growth, and empathy. This article brings new perspective on how theater can elucidate psychotic experiences, encourage dialogue about these experiences, and facilitate social integration and recovery of individuals living with psychosis. Conclusion and Implications for Practice: Theater can promote social change, making space for a wider range of perspectives in society. Engaging individuals with lived experiences of psychosis in theatrical productions could lead to new insights about and acceptance of psychotic experiences, both for these individuals and for society at large.

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Section: Recipientmentioning

confidence: 99%

Who is afraid of Hermy and Jimmy? Relating to and normalizing psychosis through theater.

Landa,

Levitt,

Jespersen

et al. 2023

Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal

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“…Representations of mental health are ubiquitous in theatre (Johnston, 2008, p. 221), and numerous productions have tackled mental health topics including depression. For example, Johnston (2008) shares the history of the Workman Theatre Project's production of Joy. The Musical.…”

Section: Theatre Health Education and Depressionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pedagogical Discoveries through Participation in a Devised Ethnodrama about Depression

Omasta¹,

Landroche²,

Team³

2021

Journal for Learning through the Arts

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This study employs interpretative phenomenological analysis to investigate theatre artists' perceptions and experiences of the phenomenon of devising and performing an ethnodramatic play about depression. Specifically, it explores reflective journal entries the artists wrote after each rehearsal and performance. The analytic process included identifying, coding, and categorizing significant statements in order to develop warranted assertions about the phenomenon. The data suggest that the phenomenon was pedagogical in nature. As such, this article explores seven emergent themes / beliefs participants apperceived throughout the process and discusses the variable veracity of those beliefs.

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Meaning in Motion: The Embodied Poetics and Politics of Dancing Wheels

Quinlan¹,

Harter

2010

Text and Performance Quarterly

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Performing Depression: The Workman Theatre Project and the Making ofJoy. A Musical. About Depression

Cited by 4 publications

References 7 publications

Who is afraid of Hermy and Jimmy? Relating to and normalizing psychosis through theater.

Who is afraid of Hermy and Jimmy? Relating to and normalizing psychosis through theater.

Pedagogical Discoveries through Participation in a Devised Ethnodrama about Depression

Meaning in Motion: The Embodied Poetics and Politics of Dancing Wheels

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