Dani York

With the conference approaching in a few short days, the liminal space
takes on new meaning.  I am in it.  Fully. And barely able to tolerate
it, it seems.  Making final preparations for my presentation, wrapping
things up at work before I run away for a few days and try to make
space for all that other pesky life stuff that always sneaks in.  The
prep for the conference has been liminal, to say the least.  It has
been a process filled with uncertainty and sussing out all of those
moments that do not quite fit.  Trying to find a voice that feels
authentic and trying on the role of the performer after so many years.
The space between in this process has been about re-learning to
embrace the actor part of me and what it means to approach it with
this newly inescapable therapist role following closely behind.  Where
do they meet?  Do they?  Can one arrive without the other and vice
versa?  I still do not know the answer to this question, nor am I
certain that the answer will be mysteriously (or not so) revealed on
Thursday night, when my friend and colleague and I take the stage to
be seen by other friends, colleagues, peers, therapists, actors.

As an actor I had always wanted to jump ahead to the performance;
barely able to tolerate rehearsals, wanting to be there, in the
moment, with the stage lights on, fully embodied and enrolled, both as
myself and someone else.  The process pained me, exhausted me and I
found it difficult to appreciate those moments of discovery that I
feared, even if successful, would be gone when it really counted-
during the performance.  Yet, there has been something about this
rehearsal process that has led to me to a new discovery, a shift in
that looking ahead role.  Maybe it really just is all about the
process.  At work, it is those moments that linger, not necessarily
the end product.  This experience has felt like that in many ways.
Finding my way through the roles and story being created, playing with
embodiment and the lack thereof, searching for meaning in the moments
that are brought to life.  And while worrying about how the final
product will be received, I have felt more drawn to my own process of
creating this piece… and what it all means.  But not necessarily
what it will mean to you, rather what it has and will mean to me.  Not
that I do not want the audience to be drawn in… the narcissistic
actor in me still needs her ego fed!  But I want to really be in the
moment.  So maybe now as I finish this blog piece, I will stop looking
ahead to Thursday, wondering what will happen, and just learn to exist
in this liminal space right now.

Film, The Conference and Liminal Space

Guest Blogger: Andrew Gaines

It’s so exciting to see how many workshops this year include the use of film and video!  I have been using video in my drama therapy groups every week for about 7 years now, starting when Fred Landers supervised my internship at Interfaith Medical Center.  I’m actually in the midst of writing a paper on the topic, and wanted to share some thoughts…

One intriguing aspect of applying video in therapy is the wide array of options. Some practitioners are harnessing the media’s power to document their work and raise public awareness, while others are enrolling clients as the filmmakers themselves. The content can be purely autobiographical and psychodramatic or wildly projective and fictional…or some liminal space between. For example, I have had clients speak directly to their own image. Indeed, when clients watch and hear their own messages, the experience can be a most profound form of reality testing. And then there is Cinematherapy, which some might think is akin to: “Watch these 2 videos and call me in the morning.” But as we all know, the healing impact of stories can be dramatic through the power of cinema.

I prefer to have clients participate in the entire filmmaking process from brainstorming to videography.  These adults with chronic and persistent mental illness with whom I work crave a sense productivity and success.  The presence of a camera demands “Action,” and I can easily enroll my groups into realizing our collective vision together.  Regardless of the experience they will have watching our movie played back, the satisfaction of successfully performing for the camera delivers enormous rewards, such as building self-esteem and developing self-efficacy.

From the Jason Frydman of the Program Committee:

Thanks Andrew for a great blog!

Fortunately, we have plenty of opportunities to investigate the various uses of video this weekend. Whether it be as a therapeutic tool, an art form, or a platform for social justice, many presentations utilize video. Here are just a few:

Out of Bounds: New Technology with Depth Psychology in Drama Therapy? (Brandy Brawner, MA, RDT, Thu, 9:30am-5:00pm)

Multi-Cultural Suicide Awareness and the Arts Project (Mary Burns, MA/Jessica Bleuer, MA, M.Ed, CCC, Sat, 2:30pm-4:00pm)

Participatory Film Making and Social Justice, With a Dash of Drama Therapy (Michelle Baer, MA/Pamela Snell, MA, Sun, 9:00am-12:00pm)

Looking forward to seeing you all soon!

All the best,

Jason Frydman
Program Committee Member

Chicago Forecast and the Liminality of Autumn

Christine Mayor

Having been raised in Bermuda, a place where we have “3 summers and a spring,” living in places with distinct seasons is a beautiful and strange experience. Two weeks ago, I stubbornly adorned my feet with flip flops, convinced my clothing choices might be able to stave off the colder weather. Today, I left my house bundled up in many layers, bracing myself for the brisk air and wind. As I write about the pending weather in Chicago, I am experiencing Toronto’s first snowfall this year.

Living in autumn is, for me, an experience in the liminal space. The brilliant colors of the leaves in the trees mark the passing time. Seeing my breath in the morning reminds of the winter to come. Increasing the items of clothing I am wearing adds an additional five minutes to getting ready. These changes make me constantly aware of the shifts happening in the world and the changes I am making, physically and psychically, in preparation for the long winter ahead.

Liminality is about standing in the threshold of two worlds or states. It is hardly surprising that autumn is filled with holidays to bring people (and play) together – Thanksgiving, Halloween, harvest festivals. Perhaps these are the structures of communitas – social structures of fellowship, warm contact and equality. We are only days away from our own ritual of coming together as a community, a conference timed in the seasonal threshold of summer and winter.

This blog gives you a tentative look at the weather for the week ahead in Chicago. For more up-to-date information, please check closer to your travel time. Hopefully this will give you a general picture for the conference. And the liminality of the season upon us.

For the Americans: Fahrenheit

Wednesday Night

Partly cloudy. Lows in the upper 30s F.

Thursday

Partly sunny. Highs in the upper 40s F.

Thursday Night

Partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of light rain showers and light snow showers. Lows in the mid 30s F.

Friday

Partly cloudy with a 20 percent chance of light rain showers. Highs in the mid 40s F.

Saturday

Mostly clear. Lows around 30 F. Highs in the mid 40s F.

Sunday

Mostly cloudy and milder. Lows in high 30s F. Highs in 50s F.

For the Rest of the World: Celsius

Wednesday

Cloudy. High 14C. Low 4 C.

Thursday

Cloudy with 30% chance of showers. High 8 C. Low 0 C.

Friday

Some clouds, mostly sunny. Brisk and chilly. High 7 C. Low -1 C.

Saturday

Clear, sunshine. High 9 C. Low 1 C.

Sunday

Mostly cloudy. High 12 C. Low 3 C.

For the Friday night Diversity Forum please bring a ritual object for our altar, that symbolizes any or none of the following: your connection to ancestors, to self or spirit, to drama therapy, and/or anything else meaningful to you at this moment.  Thank you!

NADT Diversity Forum: Indigenous Perspectives in Drama Therapy

Emily Burkes-Nossiter, MA
Laurel Carangelo, MA
Barbara Mainguy, MA, MFA, ChT
Nazbah Tom, MA

Love,

Your friendly neighborhood Diversity Committee

Whitney Davis, NADT Conference Planning Committee

As a member of the planning committee, I am proud to announce the entertainment for this year’s President’s Reception!

Two Chicago-based ensembles are to perform during (and after) the evening’s festivities. First, we will hear from the Speak’Easy Poetry Ensemble.  They’ve been collaborating with our committee to create a performance honoring the people, spirit and rituals of this year’s conference and our community. Speak’Easy, spearheaded by Poetry Slam Founder Marc “So What!” Smith, is a staple at the world famous Green Mill Jazz Club on Sunday nights (perfect for out-of-towners who have an early Monday flight!) The Green Mill is located @ 4802 N. Broadway in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood.

After the reception we have the good fortune of live music by LePercolateur, a hipster/gypsy-jazz band! Their repertoire ranges from Guns n’ Roses to Ella Fitzgerald. In addition to putting gypsy twists on pop classics, this band’s deep pocket of original songs will certainly have you on your feet and dancing with strangers.  Below is a Youtube link to a radio interview with Le Percolateur – a little taste of the fun that will come during their performance!

This will be a night to remember.  We’re so excited to bring a taste of Chicago to the reception without all the calories of a deep-dish pizza!

Whitney Davis, MSW

NADT Conference Planning Committee

Please be advised that we have had a scheduling change for a conference workshop:

Workshop B12, An Integrated Approach to Creative Arts Therapies: The Institute for Therapy through the Arts with Katherine Dillingham, MA, RDT, LCAT and Keith Whipple, MA, originally scheduled on Saturday afternoon, will now take place on Thursday the 4th from 9:30am- 11:00am.

See you soon in the Windy City!

Cheap Travel Suggestions

Deb Mier, Conference Hospitality Chair

Wow, only a little over a week before the conference!  Here in Chicago (and in multiple cities across the country where dedicated conference committee members live) we’re putting the final touches on what we know will be an enjoyable and meaningful conference.

To lessen a bit of the stress you may be experiencing by coming to a city you’re unfamiliar with I’d like to offer a few travel suggestions that will be kind to your wallet.  They are not for the luxury traveler – more for the Amazing Race kind of person – you know who you are!  If you’re looking to save some cash by getting from the airport to the hotel (and back) as cheaply as possible look no further. These options will take some time but will save you a ton.  The L chugs, screeches and grinds its way through an amazing city.

From O’Hare Airport for $1.75 & $2.25:  (Cash Only – so have small bills on you)

BEST WAY, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED = PACE BUS #250:

As soon as you exit your plane you’ll see signs/icons for ground transportation.  You’ll need to choose between the L eLevated train and the PACE bus.  The PACE is more direct, faster, mistake proof and cheapest, however, the scenery leaves much to be desired. It takes about an hour (a bit more during rush hour) – but is really easy and CHEAP ($1.75 each way). I tested it out recently with a friend and it was super easy.

From any terminal, follow the signs for “ground transportation” – take the airport tram/ train to the “Kiss and Fly” stop @ remote parking (you’ll also see the PACE icon at the Kiss and Fly stop on the train map) – the PACE bus stop is right at the bottom of the stairs when you get off @ Kiss and Fly.  Kiss and Fly is the LAST stop on the airport train so you can’t miss it.  You pay when you get on the bus so have exact change because the drivers do not carry cash for change.

O’Hare Airport is the first stop on the route which is great because you’ll be first on the bus and will be able to easily grab a seat with your luggage. This really helps because if it’s rush hour the bus can fill up but you won’t need to move until you hit the very last stop on the route (Davis Street Station) the station is literally 2 blocks from the Orrington.  Exit the station, head north on Sherman and turn right on Church Street. Walk two blocks and you’ll be at Orrington and Church where your drama therapy community will warmly waiting.

Below is the link to a PDF of the bus schedule:

http://www.pacebus.com/pdf/schedules/250sched.pdf

Use the L from O’Hare for $2.25 (1.0 – 1.5 hrs depending on time of day)

I would only suggest this route if you’ve got additional time and want a free window tour of Chicago communities and a few landmarks like Wrigley Field.  The route takes you South-East to then turn and go North once you hit down town.

Follow signs for the L or CTA (Chicago Transit Authority).  It’s the first stop on the Blue Line so again you’ll have no trouble with seats.  The Blue line will take you in to the heart of downtown where it then goes underground.  At  Washington you transfer to the Red Line going North toward Howard. Washington is a main hub where many lines converge on multiple levels (NO PROBLEM FOR YOU NEW YORKERS!)  just follow the signs to the Red Line going toward Howard.   At Howard (last stop on the line), exit and walk across the platform to get on the Purple Line North toward Linden and get off at the Davis Street stop.

***If you end up down town during rush hour 6:00a-10:15a  and 3:15p-7:10p  you can easily pick up the Purple line right from the Blue line  @ Washington and cut out the red line altogether – it’s an express during those peak times – follow the signs.

Attached is the link for a PDF of the CTA map and times.

http://www.transitchicago.com/assets/1/brochures/ctaSystemMapBrochure.pdf

CTA from Midway Airport $2.25 (approx 1.5 hrs max depending on time of day)

Sadly, the bus options aren’t as great from Midway so it would be best to stick to the L.  You’ll need to change trains two times but they’re well marked and folks standing on the platform are friendly and can point you in the right direction if needed.

The Orange Line begins at Midway. Follow the signs to the station (3 min walk from end of terminals) and board.  Take the Orange line to the Roosevelt stop and change to the Red Line (toward Howard).  Just as the directions from O’Hare, take the Red Line to the end of the line (Howard St) and change to the Purple Line (toward Linden).  You’ll get off 4 stops later at the Davis St. Station (and then follow the directions listed earlier to the hotel).

http://www.transitchicago.com/assets/1/brochures/ctaSystemMapBrochure.pdf

Please note that the options listed do not travel around the Loop – it’s a really cool way to see down town but would take additional time and another change in trains.  Feel free to consult the CTA map if you want to give it a try.

Hope these suggestions help, add to your adventure AND your wallet.

Safe travels,

Deb Mier

NADT Membership Chair

Conference Hospitality Committee Chair

Chicago/Evanston Resident

By: Emily Burkes-Nossiter, NADT Diversity Chair

We encounter liminality at the edges, of identity, of comfort, of our own sense of boundedness.  It is the area we cross into and cross over when we are in a process of change or transformation.  As drama therapists, we join our clients on a journey from the known into the unknown.  The liminal space can be frightening, unsettling, it can be joyful, a relief or release from the constraints of our own conformity to the self-image that we collude with others in reinventing daily, pouring ourselves each morning into the mold of the day before.  At the edges of our established identity is also the place where we intersect with the Other.  Thus, the transformative work of “diversity,” our encounters with privilege and oppression, with historical legacies and contemporary conflicts over power and its distribution, also occurs within the liminal space, where we momentarily step beyond the boundaries and defenses that we unconsciously rely upon to navigate with ease through our social interactions, to suppress our fear and maintain comfortable hierarchies, to listen, defenselessly, to the Other, and to discover our common ground, upon which all movements for change are founded.

Those who are marginal, or marginalized within the dominant culture (gays and lesbians, youth, the elderly, people of color, poor people, women, immigrants, artists, drama therapists, etc.) are well acquainted with liminality.  We may even inhabit and function within this space a large proportion of our lives.  Often our identities are hybridized, or malleable, responsive to the social environment, as in activities such as code switching, enabling us to navigate hierarchies of power and privilege with greater efficacy.  We are in a unique position to advocate for multiplicitous perspectives on cultural narratives.  We may elucidate the covert, unpreferred, split-off, or repressed stories of resistance and resilience, that contradict prevailing narratives, the “official” version of our historical and current social realities.

As I prepare to conduct a workshop at the coming conference on dismantling barriers to cross-cultural communication and collaboration using drama therapy, I am thinking about what draws us to the edge, and what repels us from it.  I am reflecting on our competing needs for control, stability, security, and growth, evolution, and generativity.  What concepts enable us to bridge this gap?  Liminality is one, and equanimity, or non-judgment, is another.  Which brings me to the notion of Peace, or in DvT, tolerating the instability of being.  For me, social justice is one branch of a larger ethical tree which has at its root, Peace.  How do we create a culture of peace?  How do we interact non-violently with ourselves and with the world?  How do we hold one another, and our own fear, our own shame, with gentleness and compassion?  Non-judgment, acceptance, non-dualism, all of these characterize the liminal space.  They enable us to transition from what was to what is possible, as we take a leap of faith in which there is no ground, no certainty, where we must give up all we think we know to discover what can be.  Judgment prevents us from letting go of our hard-won beliefs and principles in order to experience ourselves and each other authentically, to allow ourselves to change, to become.

The dichotomies of good/bad, right/wrong have no place in the liminal zone.  They can also interfere with the development of what Martin Luther King, Jr. calls, “beloved community.”  What role does so-called “morality” have in social justice work, or in the mediation of communities in conflict?  As someone who identifies, often, with strong “principles,” I find myself humbled in the rupture that occurs when I am invited to confront the violence done to the Other when his or her perspective is denied the right to co-exist with mine.  This is the moment of liminality that intrigues me most.  Can we each exist without the need to annihilate the Other or experience annihilation by the Other?  Can we move beyond tolerating one another to loving one another, to knowing one another?  For me this would be the most courageous act of non-violence, non-judgment.  And what would happen next?  Only a journey into the liminal can tell.  I look forward to playing at the edge with this beloved community in only three weeks.  See you in Chicago!

By: Liz Edwards

For our first semester midterm, we were given the task to try to answer the question, “How is Performance Healing?” Well, I think as Drama Therapists and students, we are still working on a good enough answer to this question, all in our own way. Or maybe it is our task to live liminally in this question? Fortunately, we have been given the opportunity to explore the healing prospects of performance further with our student theatre piece at this year’s conference. Most of us come from a performing background, and we felt that the deeper we dove into our studies, the farther we got from that part of ourselves.

As we’ve been rehearsing together, we’ve been able to experience and see each other in the context of the “Wounded Healer.” In the midst of our internship experiences, the concept of the liminal space has been perfectly pertinent in this role of simultaneously wounded and healer. In the performance we explore our own wounds, our scars, and how they compare to that of those we are healing, as well as how they function in the healer role. Using some of the techniques we have learned in our classes, we have put the performance together in a workshop style. From the words we use to describe our wounds, to exploring the dichotomous reality of being wounded and a healer in the room with our clients, to experiencing both the tragedy and comedy of the liminal space, to expressing ourselves through story and song, we have had a blast while putting the piece together!

We welcome everyone to come and join us in exploring this liminal role of the “Wounded Healer” with us, the second-year students from the graduate programs, on Friday the fifth at 1:30pm. In closing, here is a brief description of the Wounded archetype that we have used as inspiration: “The wounded archetype holds the memories of abuse, neglect, and other traumas that we’ve endured. Many people blame unbalanced relationships with their parents that created the wounded child for all their subsequent dysfunctional relationships. On the positive side, the painful experiences inherent in this archetype often awaken a deep sense of compassion and desire to help other Wounded Children. From a spiritual perspective, a wounded childhood cracks open the learning path of forgiveness… The Healer aspects of this archetype include passion to serve others by repairing the body, mind, and spirit. Ability to help transform pain into healing.”

We hope you’re registered and ready for the NADT 2010 Conference in Chicago!  On behalf of all conference committee members, we are excited to welcome you to the Windy City!

Not sure how to pick from the wonderful array of workshops?  Maybe before you dance the night away at the President’s Reception, or after you take a stroll down to the Lakeshore with a cup of coffee from the Hospitality room, you’ll come and check out:

• Out of Bounds: New Technology with Depth Psychology in Drama Therapy? with Brandy Brawner, MA, RDT

Beyond theatrical traditions in drama therapy, we find depth psychology and therapeutic potentials in new technology.  In this hands-on workshop, we discuss and practice how digital/wireless tools (including video) can open up new frontiers in the way we access soulful stories/issues/imagery, connecting once invisible inner realms to community.

• Margin or Merging: Los Dilemas de la Biculturalidad with Carlos Rodriguez-Perez, MA, RDT/BCT, LCAT,  Susana Pendzik, PhD, RDT, and Antonio Ramirez-Hernandez, PsyD

“To be or not to be”…or perhaps what to be is the central question in the dilemma many Latino immigrants and their first generation children face as they live in the ambivalence of wanting to assimilate and yet long to hold on to their ethnic and cultural identities as Latinos.

• Cross the Line: Drama Therapy for Socio-Historic Conflict Resolution with Emily Burkes-Nossiter, MA, RDT

Where do you find your edge when encountering difference? How do you negotiate fluid boundaries between the roles of victim, perpetrator, and witness? Is there any neutral ground? Explore your intersecting identities and historical legacies and discover the use of drama therapy to facilitate dialogue and cultivate transformative relationships.

• Surplus Reality – Pushing the Boundaries of Space and Time with Heidi Landis, MFA, RDT, LCAT, CP/PAT, CGP and Louise Lipman, LCSW, TEP, CGP

Surplus Reality is defined as an intersection between different realities, known and unknown. The ego’s ability to control and distinguish ceases, challenging the ego’s usual tendency and moving us into unfamiliar territories, pushing the boundaries of time and space. We will experience this process through the psychodramatic exploration of dreams.

• Beyond the Boundaries of a Traumatic Brain Injury with Victoria Blumberg, MA, RDT, LCAT

Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury have had their lives altered forever, both introspectively and interpersonally, by their injury. Six residents worked tirelessly to create a play for the staff at their facility, exploring how their world is perceived as limited by their disabilities whilst exposing the depths of their abilities.

We look forward to luxuriating in the liminal space with you soon!