Some Roots and Relatives of Creative Drama as an Enrichment Activity for Older Adults

Creative (improvisational) drama is an arts activity that has been found to have considerable personal and social value for older adults as a concurrent benefit or immediate outcome of their participation in a series of such activities. Possible reasons for the multiple effects of these holistic experiences are best understood within an historical, multidisciplinary framework. This approach acknowledges the contributions of Greek theatre, religious pietism, psychodrama, psychotherapy, humanistic psychology, and group dynamics to the processes inherent in creative drama workshops and certain other related group activities for older adults. A review of literature, including empirical research, reactions of participants, and observations of leaders reveals reported increases in certain behaviors and attitudes of participants, including self‐confidence, cooperation, communication skills, self‐expression, relaxation, and sense of accomplishment. Decreases in anxiety, boredom, self‐centeredness, and focus on physical discomforts have also been reported. Additional research is needed to distinguish the characteristics of older adults attracted to such experiences and determine whether particular creative drama activities are more powerful than others for enriching the daily lives of older people.