there is, in drama, an opportunity to imitate an experience with
the body talking - i think that speaking out loud is a fundamentally
transformative process, speaking aloud is a powerful healing tool
speaking aloud when distressed, working it out, as they say, can only
happen when we can speak from that place without evoking the
body - eg., punching being the act of speaking in the absence of
words -
my objection to the phrase, and all that it implies, is the
theoretical insinuations of utilitarianism + possessive + linguistics =
and so a belief that "using my words" is sufficient - the utterance refuses
affect, ignores/forgets/presumes to be distinct from the feelings
that are happening -
anyone who has ever had their heart broken knows that 'your words' are
not going to help the pain - i think the uses of drama, however,
remedy this in transformative ways because the body is engaged as
a speaking subject.
i have seen this "speech act" overapplied and misunderstood so often;
i don't know a lot about conflict resolution, but i suppose what i
think has to happen is that kids need to learn how to be more aware of
themselves in conflicts, as much as the other. i see that being cultivated
in drama and theatre contexts, but "use your words" effects a disconnection
and one thing that so many don't learn is how to speak and feel
congruently, that is, in ways that are connected with one not acting over
the other -
it is not wrong or bad to speak angrily, it depends on what you say
and the awareness that the anger is not out of control, but
speaking to you - a language that respects the body would be
much healthier and much more effective.
diane
""""""""""""""""""""""" """""""""""""""""""""""""""""
When she walks,
the revolution's coming.
In her hips, there's revolution.
When she talks, I hear revolution.
In her kiss, I taste the revolution.
(by Kathleen Hanna: Riot Grrl)
******************************************
diane celia hodges
university of british columbia
faculty of graduate studies,
centre for the study of curriculum and instruction,
vancouver, british columbia, canada
email: dchodges who-is-at interchnage.ubc.ca