A key component of the successful use of theater is having a producer who understands the issues portrayed, can write or secure an effective script, and can assemble the best cast. Most communities of any size have persons with adequate acting experience, and necessary props are minimal. In the long run, theater may be less costly than other media because of effectiveness and long-lasting results. In Georgia, Extension first teamed up with EPI in the early 1980s for a series of aging conferences delivered regionally. Follow-up evaluation showed that participants recalled some of the seminar discussion, but remembered the drama exactly.
Theater is an illusion of life, allowing viewers to see themselves from new points of view.
The power of theater lies in its capacity to arouse, to clarify, and to evaluate. Instead of the comparatively sterile learning environments used too often, with their limited outcomes, consider the possibilities of including theater as an integral part of family development programming . . . Return to text. Dr. Don Bower is an Associate Professor and Child and Family Development and Extension Human Development Specialist at the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service in Athens, Georgia.