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A New M e t h o d Of
D r a m a Thetapy
Csilla Przibislawsky
A Research Paper
in
The Department
of
Art Education & Creative Arts Therapies
April, 2000
Csilla Przibislawsky,
2000
1*1
National Library
of Canada
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du Canada
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Abstract
Csilla Przibislawsky
iii
TABLE
O? COM2-8
BECTION 2
................... 13
.. , A 3
...-18
..... ...................................
A)
&
Application.
....34
Application
........39
SECTION 4
an --la
?roi R880rzch8ra8 Par8onrl
Exparionce8 W i t h 8yathair.d Nethod......,..,42
..............m42
Analysis of Experience ............,.....
43
Description of Experience
.......5 0
.67
Excerpt #1
The experience of
authentic movement and the
addition of the rnask,.,.,.-..,68
Summary
Summary
List of Essences
Meanings
........87
SECTION 6
Anrlyais of nethod: Tovrrdm r Th.0of
Efficaey ..........o.......................-..
89
Archetypes
......................... 89
............. 97
Appendix #1
- Letter of Authorization
Appendix #2
Questionnaire
This
paper
development
of
follows
drama
the heuristic
therapy
exploration
method
which
and
combines
The
"Authentic Neutra1
MaskWW.
Neutra1 mask is a theatre/actor training technique
originated
in this century
Jacques
Copeau
teacher
Jacques
and
by
developed
Lecoq
at
his
master
internationally
acting
renowned
1 trained as
and
have been
my
graduate
studies
in
the
Creative
Arts
seemingly
very
different
techniques
share
fascinating
the other.
1 found that
After
much
research
into
available
literature
1 then began
the
possible
therapeutic
benefits
that
themselves
classification.
without
premature
definition
and
process.
Through careful synthesis of my own experiences during
this study as well as the experiences of members of the
above mentioned research group, this paper will offer some
of the discoveries that have been reached thus far in
combining these two methods.
Although
conclusions
it
as
is too early
to
what
to r a w any definitive
is
exactly
psychologically
specific
validity
be
tested
for scientific
research group discussed within this studyThe second section of the paper will be devoted to
fully defining both authentic movement and neutral mask
technique.
the role of
addressed
the
in the
one particular
experience that
encountered
while
engaged
Neutral
then
OWI,
new
possibilities
for
persona1
growth
and
This will
Future
There are
itself is an
universal in nature.
It is
being
one in
(which
Hy
then trained the group in the method that 1 had been taught,
and joined them as an active participant in the continuing
unconscious experience,
April, 1998
At the same time that 1 vas vorking with this group of
actors,
came
across
authentic movement,
the
movement
technique
called
- namely,
that they
As
therapeutic technique,
it
is
"brings
experiences
of
balance,
clarity
and
Although neutral
'unconscious emotions',
and 1
method'.
an
idea
of
how
the
two
methods
combined
could
As
this
group
was
intended
as
means
for
creative
The
1 worked with
My role in the
relationship
with
neutral
mask
and
authentic
understanding as a result.
strong
focus on
intellectual
understanding
and
1 wanted to be doing.
around me.
The benefits that this method have brought to my life
inspire me to continue to explore and develop al1 aspects of
the work as it reveals itself to me both through my own
intuitive
...
habit-formed
facial
expressions.
(Mitchelson,
1996)
The
through
mask
is
the mind
imposes an
It is the actor's
mental
perceptions
interpretation on
body
mernories
1991).
natural
of
any
In this
nEssentially,
neutral
mask
technique
Neutral
*This moment-to-moment
gave them
@@a new
-a
sort of balance
states.
avalanche.
The actors
(Mitchelson, 1996).
The
This distinguishes
For
The actor
1991).
The
every actor and audience member hopes for when they share
the experience of a performance (Lecoq, 1991).
to
capacity
boundaries
and
experience
heightened
state
of
to
themselvesw.
transcend
life
in
consciousness.
the
their
They are
persona1
present
This
in
requires
The
(Levy,
1992)
therapy
pioneer
Mary
Whitehouse
(Adler,
1987).
joints
approached
freeing
..."
(Wallock,
1977,
one's
associations
p.
19).
Whitehouse
a Jungian
method
of
in al1
levels
of
to allow
The
In
.
The
mover
is
carried
from
the
conscious
to
the
emotions
that
are
evoked
by
different
be feeling, repressing, or
(The mover)
If
attention or presence to
(Adler, 1987, p.20).
of
the
movement
sequence,
thereby
bringing
mover/witness
The mover's
relationship
is
dialectical
in
dialogue between the mover and the witness can bring new
insight to both the mover and the witness, which will also
further develop a strong relationship between the two.
with
authentic movement
specializes in
authentic
movement
journey
as
beginning
with
working
Authentic
levelw
(Adler,
1987,
p.23).
She
felt
that
conunitment
to
the
form,
the
process
%an
bring
own
with
the
material
experiences
for the
example,
when
individuals
share
their
movement
speaker are averted from the eyes of others, and the body is
engaged
as though
(Koltai, 1994).
awareness
which
observes,
acknowledges,
and
remembers
persona1 material,
she gently
encourages
the actor
to
become the focus of the work, the actor may prematurely draw
conclusions about the material based on his or her persona1
history.
In fact, the
into practice.
sense of
which
unconscious.
will
aid
the
movergs journey
to
the
mover.
negatively
affect
the
mask
wearer's
attempts
at
exercise however,
The critique
introduces an
content'.
Releasing
often
discourage self-
best circurnvented.
Judith Koltai's
approach of gently
process
Unfortunately the
Jacques Lecoq
persona1
material
as
something
to
be
avoided
three
emphasize
the
value
of
working
on
Al1
the
that
cornes
from
an
interplay
between
both
The witness is
mover.
In authentic
subjective, and that each can gain insight from the ongoing
sharing of their experiences with the other.
Perhaps if the mover-witness relationship in neutral
the mover's
help
formerly unconscious
processes
into
(if the
witness vas
own behaviour,
of
the
individual
(whether
it
be
emotional,
For it is this
others
Similar to
(Adler, 1987,
p. 157)
(Emunah,
alive,
and
mechanically
efficient
bodyw.
of
confusion
in
normal
motor
habits
and
body
He then
The
This
mask
serve
individuals
with
strong
ego
Future
In
88
viable rothod o f
therrpy.
It
medium.
phenornena
that can be as
simple as the m i m e n t
of
of
an
action
and
eventually
persona
or
character.
The embodiment of physical sensations and impulses is
another way of saying the acknowledgment, or the raising to
consciousness feelings occurring within the body.
Bainbridge Cohen,
the
founder of
the Movement
Bonnie
therapy
acknowledge.
In
authentic
movement
one
certainly
lead to a
this paper,
In essence,
immensely depending
These
on the
It is in
In other words,
impulses.
Then
by
enlarging
these
impulses,
one
is
but when a
later.
neutral
embodiment.
providing
mask
work,
Authentic
the seed
there
are varying
movement
begins
degrees
the
of
process,
enlarged
and
of
dream-image
by
means
of
directed
~uthentic Neutra1
Mask
first
accesses
the
body's
and
Mindell
states
that
when
physical
illness
has
He
198)
That in
fact the symptoms lead the way to what the ego has repressed
in a
interna1
course.
Currently, my feeling is that adding a neutral mask to
the
moverls authentic
movement
experience
accentuates
get
projected
into
character,
Usually the
thus
the
personality.
Either
way,
the
outward
expression
and
The word witness denotes the nature of the therapistclient relationship in authentic movement (as 1 have already
begun to describe earlier in the paper)
In effect the
(Johnson, 1992).
movement journey and shares with the client what was evoked
within
client's movements.
client
objective
As clients
at
the
same
time bringing
the
experience
into
emerged
within
my
own persona1
experiences while
pertaining
archetypes.
to this
method,
that
of
universal
so than in the
Drctiptio~o f rporioooa
1 had
On
this day
that
finally
My
mask,
feeling
of
the
mask
pressing
and
Given this,
The
night
against
was
needing
before
in my journal afterward.
dancing, clapping, twirling.
it out.
the group.
who played the role of the witness for this exercise gave me
the feedback after that 1 laoked like usorneone trying really
hard to be happy about having lost aomeonem.
Analpsis of Exparianca
My
experienced a
feelings around my
Furthemore, as
feeling
of
constriction
and
disempowerment.
Furthemore, 1
of
adoring
fans
(because 1
felt
punished
and
given
(because
constricting),
opposing
the
and
act
of
receiving
had
become
away the
- the need
1 was
also gave me
feeling of
The physical
having
achieved
Containment of
estranged
from my
body,
feel
isolated,
feel
This then
2)compensatory action
3)resulting feeling
resulting feeling
6)reason for the imbalance
For example:
1)1 feel small
2)1 make large dance-like actions wlth my body, then create
a larger than life character
3) 1
feel
ready
to
feel
some
pain
that
have
been
overwhelmed by before
4)feeling small makes me repress feelings of pain
5)I was more sad than 1 thought
6)much rumination over mytroubles made my world small which
made m e feel small and overwhelmed. By expanding my body and
If 1%
X2)
revelations
character.
as
a result
of
having
emodied
the
diva
had they not been present, there would have been a greater
likelihood of my beginning the exercise with feelings of
self-consciousness and inhibition, and thus the exercise
would not have been as effective:
-an environment that felt familiar and safe
-a group of people who 1 felt accepted by and
comfortable with
-a mask with which 1 had positive associations and
which felt familiar to me
-a witness who 1 knew would empathize with me
In physical terms my actions progressed in the following
manner:
-1 expanded my body against the floor
-1 danced, clapped, twirled
-1 played with rhythms from others
-1 embodied and enacted a diva character who then:
-clappeci for herself and others
oaccepted roses then tossed them away and laughed
-culminating in a new emotion: regret
-1 sat d o m , held myself close and cried
In psychological terms:
and benefits
In other
it personal,
symbolic meaning
that
was
not
The
1 vil1 then
undergraduate university
population.
Al1
four of the
by
myself
either audiotaped
of
or
this
into walls) , to
an
alert,
empathic
observer,
and
to
record
their
This
that
How
them
together.
some s e n s e
of why
This may
The
concentrated wholly
on their
own
through
ritualized
stretching
and
breathing
routine
by
five
minutes
of
free associative
journal
judging
them
as
good
or
bad,
but
rather
to
the most part they had their eyes closed during al1 movement
exercises.
After the eighth session we had a wrap-up meeting in
12)
audiotaped.
The following is a summary of the progression of one of
of
my
observations of
his movements,
his
process.
fs
Also,
Bangs Journay
Ben wrote in his journal in the first session that he
wanted to open up, to explore nthe free mem.
He told the
He
exercise.
said
also
that
he
felt distracted
by
still.
n I g m aiming at
not ta be collaborative,
lying on pillows.
He described an image of
began
assertiveness.
to show what
looked
to me
His
like more
Upon
He
crossed the room, shook hi8 head, bleu out, then grabbed his
head with bath arms.
Ben's part in
laughing
loudly.
chaos!"
emotions!
It's amazing how when you turn off the mind, you
happening."
This began
to
his presentation.
if their body
walked
around
impatience.
the
room
with
what
looked
to
me
like
recognition.
one
Ben wrote:
just
Say
could
"This
In his journal,
1 was
to be leaned against.
out.
Oh well!! !'*
1 cease ta
In his journal he
Then he wrote:
"Neutra1 Mask:
exercises were
done wearing
in this
session.
In his
@@This was
fun
1 could have
the
eighth
session,
especially
in
the
second
interpersonal exchange.
Without
Al1 my problems.
journal, Ben wrote: @@My theme was to let go, to just be.
But instead..
1 wanted to be
. I still got
what 1
(This statement
movements
in one
"Although my view on
be more
In effect 1 was
Actually, now
mid-way through the process, Ben wrote: "My goal pretty much
remained the same throughout.
much
clearer
questionnaire
and
he
immediatemm
defined
Then
as part
'tharapeutic'
as:
of
this
"Healing.
be ing
ie.
' therapy'
rather
as:
unpleasant
nature.
Due
mostly
to
persona1
Ben vrote:
heightened
definition.
on
it was a
more
He
himself
of
his
@@inner dialoguew
and
thus
1n the
care of
it.
Within
inhibitionsw.
just
@bel.
'the
Suddenly he
and
the
following
session
he
made
strides
toward
1)
Body
ranaations
alaborrtmd
ara
riplif iad,
c l u i f iad,
One can
nI want
its' clarity,
images and
emotions
also
displays
deepes
cognitive,
conscious
It is also worth
term)
session:
addiction.
.@'
3) 1 playad
out 8atithotic.l
domirom
the desire ta be
In meeting this
lack of
inhibitions, Ben
experienced
his
This d r e w
I wonder
Ben
at
that he
has become
turn
off
the mind,
you
get
al1
these
different
It is also interesting
'somebodyv when he
played the mask character, perhaps for the very reason that
the experience.
being a
nself-centredm,
labels.
ie.
u s e l f - ~ ~ n s ~ i ~ ~ s*self-obsessedw,
w,
in the same way as another group member who was across the
experiences
of
witnessing
authentic
In my own
movement,
this
authentic movement
leader
and
witness,
as
movers
the
rnovement.
that
and
being
manifested/embodied
through
have
spoken with
understand this
to
be
true.
Nor
of
evoking
archetypa1
images
and
sometimes
1 have also
Even if this
1 find Ben's
1s he in fact describing
n...which
Obviously, it
The first
discussion^
The second
=Ben,
S=Sarah,
Excerpt #1
How did you experience a u t h e n t i c aovement and then h m did
t h e a d d i t i o n of the neutral mask a f f e c t your experience?
It was nice.
S:
B:
...
...
..
C:
B:
S:
C:
S:
1 need to
She said that the mask gave her freedom to play more,
"put on personasW.
interna1
impulse
to
move
is
present.
It
was
also
Perhaps this
iipul808 through i o v u e n t .
did
make
to emboy
interna1
action.
The
Jessica
shared
with
the
group
during
the
group
chiIdhood.
have
observed
that regression
to early
"18m
V 8 m realizing
Sarah's
the room".
had left
Ben
positions
took
her
back
ta
different times.
In
my
interna1
first, 1 am sure that she is not the last person that 1 will
encounter who feels this way.
"catching
the wavew; a
state or
feeling that
she
feeling of timelessness;
critic
subsides;
instead...just
feels;
he
stops
thinking
in
the inner
words
and
In other
words :
Achieving a state in which the mind takes a back seat
to the body's natural impulses, helps engage the mover
in actively and physically experiencing feelings,
images, sounds, and the ensuing characters that emerge
through authentic neutral mask work.
&rcxpt #2
What did you get o u t of this process?
enough
now 1
things
worked
in bold print. )
how far she could go in this process, beyond vhich she vould
no
longer
feel
safe.
Having
stayed
within her
own
is connected to it.
maintain
connection
with
that
pool
of
energy
and
confidence.
She does
fear
in an
environment of
as combination psychodrama
therapy.
This
is
and
very
Authentic
cognitiveinteresting
possibility.
1 also found Sarah's description of the progression of
believe as well.
neutral
mask,
the
individual might
discover
be
recognizably
However, in working
be
Ta put it
a symptom of something
As a
what she felt her intuition told her to be right, and she
was beginning to t ~ s that
t
she didngt need to second guess
herself about this decision.
83
this process,
and would
to
sessions.
be
in
the
need
to be
in future
not
begin
a group unless 1 am
assured of
having
one
By
and
the
One
that
they
felt that my
goals
their process.
in experiences without my
beginning.
1 will
next section, but for now 1 will merely say that through
this method there is a great deal of potential in the
the
images to
layer
into their a
internai
v
,se.nariaS, and have found that this does in fact enrich the
experiences of the movers.
utonrrlisob,
and
-diab
brsisem are plry.6 out
3)
Antithotie.1
4)
lifa r
obaa-ed
givon
a u o t h e rm baiag
orrparioncad firmt-hrnd.
5)
bringing
ioro
bisaction
and
mpocificity
to
th.
oxperionca.
6) Wautrrl u m k
through iov.iant.
unconscioum in
9)
baek m a t to
fealingir
hagr.,
8 0 ~ d m and
~
tha anruing aurctarr that u u g a throuqh
authantic aautxrl u a k wosk.
10)
rry
only
appropriate
for
of intortml aanmrtioar
thom
rith
kinaathatic
orintrtionsa
11) Authantic neutral irsk is ona marna of rccomming a
powerful
qualities
of
authentic
neutral
mask
work,
ArchetvDes
Car1
Jung
defines
narchetypesn as
the
forms that
the
further
to
Say
that
archetypes,
as
part
of
He
the
collective
unconscious,
are
"energy-charged
nuclei
of
meant
to
be
translated
into a
language that
can
He
space-tirne
relativity
prevailing
in the
He says that
the individual.
Authentic
movement
is
known
to
access
archetypal
Synchronicity is an
that
natural
healing
process
begins
when
the
form
of
compensation
(provided by
of the
the release
There
then how does the playing out of a scene or drama from this
character8s frame of reference inforin our own lives?
these
dramas
show
us
psychological developmentW?
"fragments
of
Do
anticipatory
this point.
understanding
of
as
time goes
on
and
informed
become
more
It reminds me
of
being
in theatre school,
...
..
M.
Psychologically
the archetype as an image of
instinct is a spiritual goal toward which the whole
nature of man strives..." (Jung in Jacobi, 1959, p. 38)
In this
psychic
material
and
thereby
provides
This ability to
from
self-reflective physical
p. 10)
actionN
consciousness, and
expanded on,
(Chodorow, 1997,
with,
and
greater extent,
the
He
It
as
direct
result
of
having
experienced
the
She says
playing out
character
represented
had
been
resolved.
This
echos
mutually inclusive.
No.
The change
emotional
state.
think
that this
is
Pf
change.
Auth-tic
N~utrrrlI(r8k i.y
Va-
OffOcti~Oforri of
an
active with
Authentic Neutral
These
discussion
with
other
group
members
and
the witness.
individual.
As one example:
witness
afterward,
further
integration
into
images,
emotions ,
and
personas.
It
accesses
The *healingm or
experiences
engaged
in
during
authentic
neutral
mask
further
analysis,
further
engagement
with
the
dissolves and
effortless relationship.
makes room
for both/and
in an
CONCLUSIdN
Future directions for this work vil1 involve a greater
refinement of the technique enabling individuals to identify
repeated characters and themes and how they are connected to
interna1
conflicts.
For
clients with
more
analytic
However each
the
This
includes
removing
al1
pressure
to
embody
individual may
Adler, 3.
(1987). Who?
A :
ditnessl:~-d~scwof
A.
Contact Quarterly,
Bainbridge Cohen, B. (1993).
-.
Winter,pp.OO-29.
. The
Collected Articles From Contact Quarterly 1980-1992.
For
.-
Process
Bruner/Mazel.
Jacobi, J. (1959). C o m P l e x t m w n l
chologv
of
CC,.
N.Y.:
Princeton
University Press.
Johnson, D.R.
Cm
reaectians.
(1963).
Random House.
: e
d
pp.21-25.
Charles C. Thomas.
(1987).
Lecoq, J.
Du
-e
Paris: Bordas.
Lecoq, J. (1991). Persona1 communications with
Levy,
(1988). Dance
F.
A Xealhg
t -v:
=.
Reston, VA:
.0
(1980)
S
.-
a.
London,
England : Arkana .
Mindell, A. (1985).
Mindell, A. (1982). m
-P
S e u .
Mitchelson, M.
: The Bodv@s
-tv
. .
andEnca
& s o e i e t v . Chicago:
(1964). pcie~ce. f-
Turner, C. (1981). I
W-.
Welch, W.
(1993).
9.
Routledge.
Appendix #I
AUTHORIZATION FORM
1, the undersigned
, authorize
from January 14th until the end of March, 1999, with the
option to continue should the group feel that this would
be beneficial at that time.
1 also reserve the right to withdraw my authorization at a
future date.
Witness
Date
signature of
person authorized
t o sign
Date
Appendix 1 2
QUESTIONNAIRE
PART ONE
YOUR PROCESS
1.
What inspired you to join this group back
1999
in January?
2.
What was your persona1 goal at the beginning of the
process? (If you still do not want to share your goal,
then feel free to only answer the second part of this
question.)
Did this medium help you in working toward this goal?
If yes, then how?
3.
Did your goal change mid-way through the process? If
yes, then hov was your new goal different from the old
goal? Did this medium help you in working toward the new
goal?
4.
What is your current definition of what is therapy
and what is therapeutic?
5.
yourself?
6.
What is the most significant thing that you learned
about yourself as a result of this project?
PART TWO
SPECIFICS ABOUT THE PROJECT
7.
How was it different working with the mask than
without it? Did your relationship with the mask change
over the course of the process?
Did the group discussions influence your own process?
If yes, then hou?
8.
9.
fact it did?
10. Did 8 sessions feel like the right amount for this
process? If not, then would you have preferred to have
more, or less?
11. Did the tirne frame of 2.5 hours feel like the right
l e n g t h of time for each session? If not, what would have
been the ideal length per session?
12.
13.
14.
Do you have any suggestions for improving the
process?