Stories of destruction and renewal: A drama therapy experience

In a full-day workshop, the authors invited the participants to create personal and/or political stories around the theme of destruction. These stories were explored by the full group through methods derived from drama therapy, expressive therapies, and Gestalt therapy. Several stories were dramatized, as they captured the theme of the workshop. All group members reflected on the stories, and then all were asked to re-vision their stories from the point of view of renewal. Again, representative stories of renewal were dramatized. Finally, all group members reflected on the process of working toward the possibility of holding together balancing their tendencies toward destruction and creation. In doing so, the group attempted to come to some understanding of the concept of renewal from both political and personal perspectives. Participants from a variety of political and cultural perspectives were welcomed.