Inside Roumieh prison, a strange man is addressing 45 inmates. They have never seen him; yet they welcome him as he is the friend of Zeina, their drama therapist and the director of their second theatrical production. John Bergman tries to climb to the minds of the Lebanese inmates and help them step over their fear, in an attempt to bring about change.
Do you love your family? Show me a scene from your family.
The man starts talking how he wants his family to survive.
Have you had dangerous moments? Show me a scene from the most dangerous.
The same man starts speaking about the rush of excitement, the risks and the drugs.
The above conversation was recorded at a drama therapy session at Roumieh prison for males, in March 2011. The interlocutor is the famous drama therapist John Bergman. He is addressing an ex-drug trafficker, now an inmate, as part of a workshop organized by Catharsis organization to train selected inmates for a new play, to be performed soon.
This conversation is an exercise for the inmate to answer his own questions and reply to his Self. It continues: “I hang on your back, I put weight and pressure on you. Now, sit on the chair and address that weight. Now, pretend you are that weight, and address Yourself.”
“Self knowledge is the key to change,” Bergman told me when we met after his second session in Roumieh, with Catharsis director and drama therapist Zeina Daccache. “We make them look inside them, so they see who they are and fill their inside,” he said.
John Bergman is a board certified trainer and a drama therapist with 30 years of experience in supporting clients in criminal justice and mental health, setting up and delivering therapeutic programming and creating original criminal justice staff educational theatre productions.
John’s visit to Lebanon is his first. With the support of the British Council in Lebanon, he arrived in Beirut to give 2 workshops, one at Roumieh prison between March 7 and 10, where director Zeina Daccache is training 45 inmates for a second theatre production. (Inspired from the success of the first play she directed: ’12 Angry Lebanese,' performed earlier by prisoners in Roumieh.)
And a second workshop on Drama Therapy with Special Populations on March 11 and 12 for persons desiring to gain drama therapy skills at Crown Plaza Hotel.
“Having seen the documentary '12 Angry Lebanese,’ John told me I was doing a great job and that he is coming to Lebanon,” Zeina told iloubnan.info as she teased John’s arrogance.
John, later admitted “the film is persuasive and Zeina has got good reputation.”
Ironically, John’s first drama therapy experiment back in 1979 was a play prepared in Illinois state ville, also named ’12 angry men.’
“I am teaching in Roumieh, and I am working on deepening the theatrical experience of the 45 men, chosen to perform the second play,” he said.
The man starts talking how he wants his family to survive.
Have you had dangerous moments? Show me a scene from the most dangerous.
The same man starts speaking about the rush of excitement, the risks and the drugs.
The above conversation was recorded at a drama therapy session at Roumieh prison for males, in March 2011. The interlocutor is the famous drama therapist John Bergman. He is addressing an ex-drug trafficker, now an inmate, as part of a workshop organized by Catharsis organization to train selected inmates for a new play, to be performed soon.
This conversation is an exercise for the inmate to answer his own questions and reply to his Self. It continues: “I hang on your back, I put weight and pressure on you. Now, sit on the chair and address that weight. Now, pretend you are that weight, and address Yourself.”
“Self knowledge is the key to change,” Bergman told me when we met after his second session in Roumieh, with Catharsis director and drama therapist Zeina Daccache. “We make them look inside them, so they see who they are and fill their inside,” he said.
John Bergman is a board certified trainer and a drama therapist with 30 years of experience in supporting clients in criminal justice and mental health, setting up and delivering therapeutic programming and creating original criminal justice staff educational theatre productions.
John’s visit to Lebanon is his first. With the support of the British Council in Lebanon, he arrived in Beirut to give 2 workshops, one at Roumieh prison between March 7 and 10, where director Zeina Daccache is training 45 inmates for a second theatre production. (Inspired from the success of the first play she directed: ’12 Angry Lebanese,' performed earlier by prisoners in Roumieh.)
And a second workshop on Drama Therapy with Special Populations on March 11 and 12 for persons desiring to gain drama therapy skills at Crown Plaza Hotel.
“Having seen the documentary '12 Angry Lebanese,’ John told me I was doing a great job and that he is coming to Lebanon,” Zeina told iloubnan.info as she teased John’s arrogance.
John, later admitted “the film is persuasive and Zeina has got good reputation.”
Ironically, John’s first drama therapy experiment back in 1979 was a play prepared in Illinois state ville, also named ’12 angry men.’
“I am teaching in Roumieh, and I am working on deepening the theatrical experience of the 45 men, chosen to perform the second play,” he said.
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