maladjusted: Participatory theatre about human-centred care

Abstract

maladjusted was a participatory play produced by Theatre for Living and directed by David Diamond, with 18 theatre showings in Vancouver, Canada. The play explored the mechanization of mental health services and the possibility of “human-centred care.” Patients and caregivers developed and acted in the play. Using the interactive strategies of Forum Theatre, 2020 audience members had opportunities to role-play and suggest policy, resulting in a condensed 32-point policy report. Both subject pertinence and insistence on high quality theatre led to success. Engaged audiences resulted in a form of innovative problem solving that was then linked to policy makers and health care organizations.

Keywords::

• participatory theatre
• mental health
• health issues
• policy making
• public health disciplines

Notes

^1. Original style of capitalization retained for the play title.