Carnivalesque Enactment at the Children's Medical Centre of Rabin Hospital

In 1995, a drama project was carried out at the Rabin Children's Medical Centre by students from the Community and Educational Theatre Unit of Tel-Aviv University. In presenting this unique theatrical event, I would like to focus on a special mode of acting, that I define as 'carnivalesque enactment'. Although Carnival as a cultural phenomenon has become a research topic attracting many scholars from various fields, the uniqueness of the performing style in Carnival has not gained much attention. The first theoretical section of this article designates the basic characteristics of the 'carnivalesque enactment' and its therapeutic potential. The second part describes the case study of the drama project at the Rabin Children's Medical Centre, how the 'carnivalesque enactment' was developed step by step, and the kind of effect it stimulated among the children. The third conclusive section attempts to link the theory with the practice, discuss potential ways to work from theory to practice and vice versa, and to suggest new theatrical experiments with carnivalesque enactment.