Theses Master's

Dramaturgical Applications of Shamanic Healing for Social Change

Brunner, John

Religious and spiritual traditions, including shamanism, have long been understood as the origins of theatre and the performing arts. While these practices are fundamental to understanding the instinctual, human act of communal storytelling, this history is too often brushed aside in modern artistic practice and arts education. As the theatre industry aims to reform and reorient itself in the post-COVID-19 era, however, shamanism can provide a social, ethical, and artistic blueprint for approaching artistic creation. By better understanding the social healing functions of shamanic ritual, modern theatre-makers can work towards establishing a more socially efficacious institution.

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More About This Work

Academic Units
Theatre
Thesis Advisors
Parker, Christian
Degree
M.F.A., Columbia University
Published Here
May 5, 2021

Notes

Keywords: Shaman, Shamanism, ritual, rites, healing, community healing, social healing, performing arts, theatre, dramaturgy, Broadway, The Normal Heart, Cabaret, Fairview