Put on sweat pants and tennis shoes and head down to the Oak Room in the BCC this Friday for “Theatre Games for Life, Love and Career: A Workshop.” Katie McLaughlin ’07 created the workshop as part of her independent study project.
“I have been interested in looking at how theatre skills can be applied to other situations beyond a theatre performance,” said McLaughlin.
McLaughlin, who worked with Marti LoMonaco, chair of the department of Visual and Performing Arts, devised the workshop to test how theatre can help in real-life situations.
“These exercises are all about understanding who you are and how you communicate with and respond to others,” said LoMonaco. “Most people go into ‘auto pilot’ response when confronted with difficult situations; this training teaches you how to open up, listen and respond with empathy and understanding.”
McLaughlin focused most of her research on Augusto Boal, who is most famous for “Theatre of the Oppressed,” which focused on how theatre was being used for oppression in Brazil and lays down ways in which to combat this occurence.
“By participating in theatre, I have come to understand more fully how I act, interact and react to my life experiences, and I have also seen my self-confidence improve,” said McLaughlin. “These are skills that can’t be learned in the traditional classroom. This workshop benefits anyone who is having problems with a relationship, is giving a presentation and wants to succeed in any arena of their lives.”
The workshop is free and open to anyone who is interested. It will be from 1-4 p.m. in the Oak Room on Friday.
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