Ritual Theatre ─ The Power of Dramatic Ritual in Personal Development Groups and Clinical Practice

This work will inspire trainees and qualified drama therapists, arts therapists, psychotherapists, and counselors. It explores how ritual theater is used by drama therapists in different ways and contexts, stressing ritual theater's potential as a healing system and as a tool in personal development. The first part of the book unearths the roots of ritual theater, offering anthropological perspectives and a personal experience of a Dagara grief ritual. In part 2, editor Schrader explains her own framework of myth-a-drama, while other contributors discuss modern day rites of passage and ritual theater in community settings. Part 3 presents examples of ritual theater in clinical practice with marginalized groups, counseling clients, and psychiatric patients. Part 4 discusses transformational theater for peacemaking in areas of ethnic conflict, and looks at the potential of ritual theater as spiritual awakening. The book includes b&w photos. Schrader teaches ritual theater workshops. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Claire Schrader is director of Making Moves, a personal development company that offers ritual theatre workshops and programmes. She developed “myth-a-drama” dramatherapy as a transformational therapy and she offers a practitioner training course in this approach. She has been involved in personal development work for over 25 years and has also trained as a core process shamanic practitioner. She has an established background in theatre having worked as a playwright, a performer and a teacher in UK drama schools.