This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Meisiek, S. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Which Catharsis Do They Mean? Aristotle, Moreno, Boal and Organization Theatre

Stockholm School of Economics, Sweden

An often-suggested effect of dramatic performances is catharsis. In this essay, three catharsis-related concepts are used to help explain the effects of organization theatre. First, according to Aristotle, theatre leads to release from negative affect, whereby the eliciting of emotions is seen as a means of purifying related bad memories. Theatre is supposed to arouse feelings connected with recognized problems by presenting these on the stage, thus allowing the audience to relive them passively and, because of their non-real presentation as drama, also to resolve them. The second concept, Moreno’s idea of a creativity-generating catharsis, was developed in connection with active participation in psychodrama and with actors’ training. By drawing on negative experiences and actively reliving them on stage, participants can develop the creativity needed to find new solutions. Third, Boal assumes that when an audience actively engages in the play by proposing solutions after an introductory scene has been performed, this serves as a test run for the problems that are encountered in real life. Thus, the test in the play provides the audience with the necessary action motivation to overcome such problems. These three approaches to catharsis are discussed and are then related to organization theatre in illustrative examples of companies that provide such performances.

Key Words: catharsis • organization theatre • audience reception • organizational change

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Meisiek and D. Barry Through the Looking Glass of Organizational Theatre: Analogically Mediated Inquiry in Organizations Organization Studies, December 1, 2007; 28(12): 1805 - 1827. [Abstract] [PDF]