Theatre and the Good: The Value of Collaborative Play

Surprisingly little has been published on the questions of what theatre actually is and what participants in theatre derive from the experience. This book investigates theatre as a means of social connection. It begins by establishing a context drawn from contemporary research in public health, sociology, and political science on the decline of personal interactions, civic organizations, and the network of organizations that create "social capital." It then offers theatre participation as a means of overcoming the growing alienation of a technological society. Theatre and the Good examines the roots of theatre from an anthropological perspective, as well as theatre's capacity for liberation, using models of theatre in prison, dramatherapy, and a spiritual opening felt by many who have participated in performance and which has previously been only fractionally described. The book argues that the ancient needs for which theatre arose are still relevant and that theatre is a much needed and effective pathway to meaning. This book enters into the discussion of "performance" and, using terms accessible to any educated person, links that discussion to matters of social science, literature, philosophy and religious studies. An interdisciplinary study, Theatre and the Good will be of interest to theatre practitioners as well as academics in theatre, performance studies, sociology, philosophy, religious studies, and literature.