Standing Tall Documentary - PS3 Drama Therapy - February 2002

My daughter's 4th grade class witnessed the planes crash into the world trade center. It has been many years since I've watched this documentary, and thought it was time to share it with all of you.

When an airliner crashed into the second World Trade Center tower, on September 11, 2001, Rachel Croyle's 4th and 5th grade students were watching from their classroom window at Manhattan's PS-3. It was her fourth day as a teacher. Looking for ways to help the children deal with their feelings about what they had seen and experienced, she drew upon the expertise of a drama therapist and a group of theater professionals from City Lights, a youth theater organization. Following a series of theater workshops, an original play was developed, based on the role plays created by the children.

Told from the point of view of their classroom teacher, this video documents the transformation of the young students' stories into a theatrical performance. It explores the ways that drama can help children learn how to transform a frightening, chaotic experience into one of clarity and hope - how to express the inexpressible in a safe and symbolic form and, in so doing, to feel more balanced and in control. For the audience of parents and friends, their play offered an intergenerational community an opportunity to participate in a ritual through which to share a common history.

This innovative program will help parents, teachers, school psychologists, social workers, arts therapists, and others who work with children to understand the role that story-making and dramatic performance can play in helping children cope with traumatic experiences. It offers a compelling portrait of the sometimes amazing coping strengths that children can display when they are able to work through such experiences with the help of skilled, supportive adults.


Credit & For more info:
Academy-Award winner Peggy Stern - http://www.gladeyesfilms.com/_assets/...

Robert Landy - How can drama therapy help heal communities? vimeo.com/3353538