Dramatic Solutions

Facilitated Theatre Performance

Definition: This type of theatre makes use of facilitators to extract the learning from the theatre on group and individual level and is very useful during major organisational or cultural changes such as a comprehensive leadership development program.

Summary: It is a high impact energetic facilitated theatre intervention that extracts learning from the group as well as the individual. Typically this option would consist of a performance with three to four separate scenes with big group facilitation in-between the scenes. The first scenario will portray the ‘misaligned’ behaviours; the second scenario portrays the desired behaviours; the third and fourth scenario highlights the risks and repercussions involved if change is not made. We often make use of a customised musical composition designed to cement the messages in the minds of the audience. This intervention is a great success as the characters and stories portrayed, reflect the demographics and social stature of the company. The audience identify with the characters and the story, thereby enhancing the learning experience. The facilitated sessions in-between the scenes is a fantastic way to ensure that the message communicated is clearly understood. It also helps the audience to reflect on past behaviour or situations that has impacted on the issues portrayed in the story. We often find that the visual, auditory and kinaesthetic experience that stems from the facilitation opens the door to communication.

Industrial Theatre

Definition: It provides for little or no feedback from the audience and can be used effectively during launches and for the dissemination of information, e.g. New policies, Employment Equity, Safety, Customer service, etc.

Summary: This option includes a straight forward industrial theatre performance. The performance will utilize identifiable characters to communicate and encapsulate the main learning points and the performance will make use of humour and heightened energy to enthuse the audience. With this option there is no interaction between the actors and the audience. It is a cost effective way to communicate any changes or new strategies and directions. However, with this theatre intervention, the audience’s learning and understanding of the underlying complex messages within the play cannot be guaranteed.

Participative Experiential Theatre

Definition: It is a uniquely South African product and the flagship of the Learning Theatre Organisation. During this intervention, participants are given information by various means, and then with the help of facilitators and actors, they learn new skills and behaviours on a deep level, by doing it themselves (i.e acting it out) – ‘You cannot understand another man until you have walked a mile in his shoes’ an Old Chinese proverb. Using this principle, participants begin to understand organisational change, expected culture and expected new skills or leadership style.

Animated Communication Session

Definition: A theatre session that ties in with the desired outcomes a client would want to communicate. It aids in ensuring that an integrated, identifiable message is communicated to the audience.

Summary: This type of theatre forms part of a conference or workshop where the client presents a change, current issue, transformation etc. The performance ties in with whatever is communicated creating an integrated message. The animated communication session is similar to improvised theatre, with one big difference; the outcome is predetermined and getting to that result is cleverly driven by our games master and the actors. The ‘play’ would consist of short scenes usually portraying a specific situation or idea. As with improvised theatre the actors will seem to be performing spontaneously (eg Who’s line is it anyway). The actors will make use of audience suggestions to guide the performance as the plot, setting and dialogue is developed. The audience is unaware of what the outcome of the various scenes would be; to the audience anything seems possible as they see their projections acted out on stage. The actors however have a clearly defined outcome based script prepared and rehearsed days before. Their seemingly impromptu play is therefore driven towards the desired result. Participants will develop a better understanding of the themes communicated by ‘being in the moment’; your audience learns how to make positive choices that will keep doors open -offering more possibilities; the workshop enhances proactive listening as opposed to passive or responsive listening, it forces people to think out of the box and develop new respect for different opinions as all options are acted out on stage. This is a highly successful, entertaining and cost effective way to communicate complex messages.

Dramatic Communication Support

Definition: Various options available as a replacement for verbal communication. It acts as support to emphasize or reinforce previously communicated messages.

Summary: It incorporates physical and visual elements to communicate desired messages. One of these options is physical theatre, where performers use abstract movement to create character, narrative to portray relationships and interaction. It can include dance-theatre, puppetry, mime, masks, clowning and vaudeville. Other dramatic support can be the use of comic strips with a recognisable character from a previous Industrial Theatre Intervention conveying messages to the desired target market.

Corporate DVD

A professional DVD will be produced, portraying and communicating the client’s desired outcomes. This process includes the writing of the script, directing and shoot of the production as well as final editing and copying. Our expertise and experience in video production, both for broadcast and for corporate use enable us to create a value adding product.