Theater group helps participants build real-life skills

January 15, 2009

As a singer and performer in Chicago, Victor Moore knows firsthand the power of expressing himself onstage. So when Moore came to Heartland Alliance in 2007 as a staff member, he proposed a new therapy group that would help bring that power to participants with mental health and substance use issues.

Moore works at the outpatient mental health resource center in Uptown, Heartland Alliance's drop-in day program that provides meals, group therapy sessions, and community for people experiencing homelessness. Since October 2007, he has led a weekly theater-based group that is open to any participants at the day program.

"Theater taps into so many different aspects of life," Moore says. "It's learning how to share a space with others, standing at the center of a group of people and expressing yourself, understanding other people's impressions of you, or even just learning to identify your own uniqueness. Everything is theater."

Moore often starts a session by guiding participants through a variety of theater games, such as role playing and conflict resolution scenes. But he doesn't always have a set agenda for the group each week—he likes to stay flexible and see where the participants lead him. He allows them to create their own characters and create scenes that reflect their different experiences. Moore also encourages participants to "side coach," offering their opinions and encouragement on each other's performances.

Chris, a regular participant in the group, says the group gives her something to look forward to every week. She says preparing for the performances is a great motivator and improves her self-esteem.

The theater group has become a popular afternoon activity at the program, with 10 to 15 participants regularly attending. Together they perform different plays, from classics like The Charlie Brown Christmas to a collaboratively written piece called The Intervention, about family and friends helping a woman with mental illness get the help she needed.

The group's fall production was an adaptation of the children's book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No-good, Very Bad Day. During rehearsals, participants discussed with each other how to cope on those days when nothing seems to go right.

Moore studied theater technology in college and worked in set construction at Steppenwolf Theatre before joining Heartland Alliance. In addition to performance skills, he teaches participants the practical side of theater—the difference between dialogues and monologues, and where to stand on stage. Other group activities include stress management and breathing exercises.

Through the rigors of live performance, Moore says, the participants learn to trust and depend on each other, developing supportive relationships both onstage and off. Moore has built a rapport with many of his participants, and they often come to him for help outside of the theater group as well. It's clear that their trust means a great deal to him. "A lot of joy comes from working with these participants," he says proudly.

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