Theatre is a powerful medium for exploring self and addressing psychosocial and mental health issues. Many plays and theatrical performances have delved into the complexities of the human mind, feeling, emotions, and various psychological conditions. In theatre, there have been countless movements, all of which have been related to the progress of psychological theories.
The human conscious may, be likened to a theater, “complete with a stage, audience, actors, a director, and stage machinery.” In this metaphor, the stage is “analogous to working memory (including inner speech and imagery), the actors on stage are the contents of consciousness, the spotlight on the stage is analogous to attention, the stage hands and stage machinery are the unconscious ‘contexts’ of consciousness, the director is ‘the self as agent and observer’, and the audience consists of all other unconscious, specialized processes” Generally, the theatre metaphor for the mind is an appropriate and easy-to-follow one, that has all the components it should, and nothing is extraneous.
SPARSH has always performed plays on mental health issues and have always been appreciated and awarded by audience /experts for working with clarity and simplify presentation on such concepts which creates awareness in society towards mental health and its issues.
Theatre can offer insights and create dialogue around psychological issues, it's not a substitute for professional mental health treatment. However, it can serve as a complementary medium that contributes to public discourse, empathy-building, and de-stigmatization of mental health topics.