A DRAMA OF HEALING: IN THE BLOOD AS AN AUTHENTIC LEARNING EXPERIENCE

The use of theatre in education often achieves what the curriculum and many teachers cannot do, that is involve the students, interest them in the subject matter, lead them to see its relevance to the world around them, and motivate them to learn more. In addition, when you have a group of students who have never been involved in the process of “making art” through rehearsals and characterization, something magical can happen: the transformation of the individual and the discovery of the self.

In studies conducted every semester by the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT) at the University of Michigan since the year 2000, faculty have evaluated the effectiveness of theatre on students by administering surveys directly after performances, following up with additional surveys and focus groups three months to a year after the performances, and interviewing key administrators who use the Theatre Program to affect change at the University of Michigan. Results from these multiple sources indicate that on an individual level, participation in the theatre performances affects not only the students involved in the production as actors or designers, but also audience members’ awareness and their behavior. That is the case of the student actors who performed for two seasons in the theatrical production of In the Blood by Suzan- Lori Parks at Hostos Community College in the spring and fall of 2008. After several weeks of rehearsals, it was noticeable that they had developed their craft, become more positive toward their school work, learned about discipline, developed empathy, clarified values and attitudes, and understood the collaborative art of theatre.

Some days of rehearsing and re-rehearsing for In the Blood were more grueling than others. Sometimes two student actors just wanted to quit under the pressures of school, part-time jobs and other obligations of being a student nowadays. The five student actors had to play two different roles in the play, and had a lot of lines to memorize. But then, the thoughts of the two students that wanted to quit would turn to the main character of Hester, La Negrita, and they would imagine what she would say at moments like this. “I just want to have my leg up,” Hester continuously says in the play, and that is exactly what the student actors wanted: to have an advantage. They considered they already had an advantage over the students who were not in the cast

– the advantage of what it means to be on stage, and transmit a message and receive recognition for it. One of the student actors said to me at a rehearsal, “It is a privilege for me to be here. I am here for a reason.” Another student said, “I auditioned just for fun, and I ended up getting the part! I have never had a challenging experience like this one.” It was at that moment that I realized that my duty as a director of the play was not only to conceptualize the production, but also to provide the students in the cast with an opportunity to discover that they were capable of playing their roles in a believable way and connect with the audience – something they had never experienced or studied.

During rehearsals, we studied and discussed the world of the play, analyzed their characters, identified objectives and obstacles, and understood the behavior of each character through improvisations. For example, I once prepared a scene to be impro- vised between the Doctor and Hester (two of the characters in the play) that was not in the script with the purpose of making the actors “feel” what the characters were supposed to feel. The student actor playing the Doctor needed to feel compassion for Hester at some point in the play, and it was difficult for him to express it through performance. I told the two actors to imagine that they were in the street and that the Doctor’s objective was to convince Hester to get a hysterectomy. I suggested to the student playing the Doctor to think he was breaking the news to a loved one in his real life. The improvisation started and the performance resulted in a very moving and believable moment in which the Doctor almost cried and hugged the actress playing Hester. I witnessed how his body responded to the emotions in a natural, organic way without me telling him what to say or do in terms of body language. I froze the scene at some point and asked the actors to relax. Then I asked, “How did you feel?” The student playing the Doctor answered, “Really sad. Now I understand how the Doctor is supposed to feel in that scene.” I also employed the method of emotional recall developed by Constantin Stanislavsky to bring sadness to life. This method, if not conducted carefully, could cause a catharsis and could sometimes be emotionally unsafe. But, since trust had already been developed within the group by spending four weeks together sharing experiences, playing theatre games to create a character, doing voice warm-up exercises and rehearsing, I felt the students were ready for it. Besides, the rehearsal room was intimate and the actors felt safe in it. One day, a student actor said to me, “Professor, I really enjoy coming to this room to rehearse. It is a therapy for me and I feel so relaxed. This is like a family to me.”

The emotional recall exercise I conducted with the cast was the following: there was a scene in the play where the five children cry because their mother, Hester, screamed and insulted them by saying they were all “bastards.” The children start crying and then the mother apologizes, hugs them, and finally sends them to sleep. At first, the student actors’ crying was fake and funny instead of being sad. It was then that I decided to employ the emotional recall. I asked them to think about a moment in their lives where they had experienced deep sadness, for example, the death of a relative or a break-up. They sat down around a table and spent about three minutes thinking about it while I was observing how their thoughts were affecting them physically. Two of them stood up and walked around the classroom while the other three remained at the table with their heads down. After three minutes, I asked the actress playing Hester, out of role, to go to each one of them and ask them what had happened. One by one, they expressed to the actress in a very low voice what their sad moment was. One student started crying and could not finish telling his story. He suddenly walked out of the room and the actress went after him to console him. He recovered from crying and came back into the room while the others were observing deeply moved. I personally was moved by this moment as well. I asked the students not to let go of the sadness and use it for the scene. Everyone assumed their roles, took their places in the rehearsal space, and the actress playing the role of Hester continued the scene that was in the script by saying her line. What happened after that was a really powerful moment: the students in role as the children stood up when the mother apologized and went to her to hug her still crying. It was very believable. Not only did they understand the nature of “being in the moment” to make the scene believable for the spectator, but they could at the same time heal the emotional pain they had expressed during the exercise and, consequently, feel better. It was drama therapy. I told them that if they could move the audience the way they moved me during rehearsals, then the audience would believe. At the end of the rehearsal, a student came to me and said, “Professor, that exercise re- ally made me feel better and now I realize that being a good actor is really difficult.”

Having a professional actor from Actors’ Equity playing the main character of Hester was essential in “leading and controlling the drama from within”. Working “out of role” and “in role” as Hester, she advised the students during the emotional recall, led some warm-up exercises such as stretching, head rolls, breathing and voice training, and was the “driving force” that kept them focused during the shows. She helped them rise to her level of acting, and the audience was able to suspend their disbelief and be impressed by their performances. Comments from the audience include, “I was amazed at how intensely some other people in the audience were moved by the presentation. A person was crying next to me.” “I had never seen a play before and I loved it. I will definitely see more plays from now on.” “I think they are good actors, and I couldn’t believe some of them had never acted before. They all acted like professionals.” “I enjoyed the way the issue of homelessness was presented with some humor.”

One of the most gratifying experiences of producing In the Blood was the discussion sessions after each performance. The cast remained on stage after the curtain call to answer questions from the audience. Questions such as: “What was the inspiration to produce the play?” “How did you prepare to play two roles?” “What is the symbolism of the letter “A” for Hester?” and “Why is the play entitled In the Blood?” indicated that the show had promoted critical thinking and sought rewarding educational experiences. It was interesting to see how the student actors held their own with the audience by answering the questions very well. It was then that I realized that significant learning had occurred, and that my goal that the students be able to articulate what they understood by having participated in an artistic endeavor had been accomplished. These discussions were the best method of assessment. It occurred in public and it rounded out the learning process.

After the last performance of In the Blood in November, 2008 we had a discussion in the Green Room of the Repertory Theater with two respondents from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, Region 2. I had submitted the production to be considered for the regional festival, and the respondents, theatre professors Debra Otte and Georgia McGill, were very impressed with the students’ work. They commented that the performance had been a real “ensemble” work. It was the highest compliment we could receive given the fact that, currently, we do not have a theatre program at Hostos Community College.

The students explained to the respondents that the creative process was a shared experience, but also an individual one as each performer contributed his/her own view. In addition, working with a professional actor had added another dimension to their work because they felt that rehearsals were daily workshops where they would learn something new. One student said, “This was a real class! I learned much more here than in my other classes this semester.” Although they felt it was a safe environment, it was a constant challenge to have a “model” to follow. The respondents commented that the professional actress, also present at the discussion, did not have an “entourage” and was not behaving like a “diva”. That was a good sign.

Through theatre the students in the cast had an opportunity to see the world from another point of view and respond as the person they played would respond. If the inner attitudes of another can be identified and understood through creative drama, and if students can experience “walking in another’s shoes,” then more understanding and more effective communication will be the result. I witnessed it during this session. I had never heard these students speak so well, not even in rehearsals! One student said, “By doing this play I have discovered that theatre is an option for me.” “I feel I have become a better student and person after this play. I want to continue exploring other characters,” another student said.

The impact of In the Blood remains intact with the cast, the audience and me, not just from the multiplicities of actions and ideas but because, most of all, it was an experience of authentic learning. I still receive comments from individuals that saw the production such as: “I think that the theatrical production of In the Blood was an excellent example of active learning. I realized that during the discussion after the performance.” “That was the best play I’ve ever seen.”

I am certain that for the student actors it will be a lasting experience that will positively influence their future work in any discipline. The five student actors from In the Blood, along with five other students, have been cast in the spring 2009 production of No Child… by Nilaja Sun to be presented at Hostos Community College. They have already become leaders in the College by encouraging other students to audition for future productions, advising the students taking the Acting I course, and helping in the coordination of theatre workshops as members of the Theatre Club. That is the power of theatre: it engages, challenges, shakes, heals, transforms, and enlightens.

Angel Morales Humanities

WORKS CITED

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Fendrich, Laurie. “Creative Class, Dismissed.” The Chronicle of Higher Education 54 No. 20 Jan. 2008: 1.

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