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Theatrical group addresses tough topics in equally challenging settings
Nov. 15, 2000
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A jail may seem like an unusual setting for theatrical performances. But when Diane Kondrat was approached nine years ago by Monroe County Jail officials about presenting experimental, improvisational theater behind bars, she saw an opportunity to help others by providing an educational experience that is unique in the state.
Kondrat, a lecturer in theater at Indiana University, is the founder and executive director of InterAction Theater Inc., the producer of "What If ..." programs. InterAction Theater is a small group of actors who travel around Indiana performing for audiences in settings as varied as shelters for abused women and the homeless, detention centers, schools and hospitals.
Kondrat has spent more than two decades in the world of theater as a producer and actor. From National Public Radio to the Phoenix Theatre in Indianapolis to the Virginia Shakespeare Festival, she is a veteran of both the stage and the airwaves. She is trained in the Meisner Technique of acting.
She said that people facing difficulties in their lives have learned important lessons through theatrical scenes that her group presents about real-life issues. Unlike conventional theater performances, InterAction Theater's performances are in places that make its shows much more real to the audiences, even though to some traditional theater-goers this may not seem like real theater.
No topics are out of bounds for "What if ..." programs. The topics covered are selected according to the educational needs of each particular audience, including people who are in at-risk situations. Programs may focus on domestic violence, sexual abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention, for example.
Unlike conventional theatrical companies, the group invites contributions from the audience, which is called upon to become verbally involved with the scenario being presented. In each story line, the action comes to a crisis point and the play is stopped, so the audience can discuss what happened and its ramifications. Programs typically last about an hour.
"In five minutes, the conflict can be apparent and come to a crisis. Then the moderator waits for the perfect moment and the action stops," Kondrat said. "Audience members get to ask characters questions about what they would do or how they feel in this situation. The audience can ask about anything and it will be answered."
Kondrat said many participants in at-risk situations learn more from this type of situation because the scenes are typically about things they have experienced.
"Sometimes, the believability is so much more intense that audience members need to be reminded it is not real," she said.
Teaching children the benefits of interactive theater is another goal of the group. For example, in Frankfort, Ind., "What If ..." taught children the fundamentals of acting and interaction in theater and helped them create their own production. The students then performed their show for their peers elsewhere in the community.
Around Bloomington, "What If ..." is active in many different organizations. Over the last two years, it has provided HIV/AIDS prevention education to hundreds of students in area middle schools and high schools in partnership with Bloomington Hospital. Currently it is working with The Rise, a shelter for victims of domestic violence.
Kondrat said "What If ..." is working with shelter volunteers so those people can use the group's methods to help children and adults who are victims of domestic violence. Other future productions, if funded, may include a performance to help children understand and appreciate the value of diversity.
In the beginning, a small grant supported the group and its project with the jail. Today, InterAction Theater is a federally designated not-for-profit organization funded in part by the State Department of Education. Funds are continually being sought from corporations and individuals to support its programs around the state.
For more information, call Kondrat at 812-335-2589.
(Andrea Riles, 812-855-3911, ariles@indiana.edu or George Vlahakis, 812-855-0846, gvlahaki@indiana.edu)