This workshop will introduce participants to the theory and practice of using theater in therapeutic ways to facilitate self-expression, support self-esteem, cultivate supportive communities, and challenge stereotypes among incarcerated and re-entry populations.
During our time together, we will explore the theoretical underpinnings of Drama Therapy, provide concrete examples of Drama Therapy applications with incarcerated and re-entry populations, and engage in several simple and transformative Drama Therapy exercises. Two individuals who have been formerly incarcerated will also share their experiences participating in therapeutic theater programs, both in prison and after returning home.
• • • •
This training is intended to serve clinical practitioners, including marriage and family therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, licensed clinical social workers, drug recovery counselors, psychiatric nurses, as well as those in training or internship programs for their respective licenses.
• • • •
Participants will be able to:
• • • •
**1.5 continuing education hours (CEH's) are available through full participation in this workshop.
Suraya Keating, MFT, RDT (she/hers)
Suraya Keating, MFT (#43996), REAT, RDT is a bilingual (Spanish-English) Registered Expressive Arts Therapist, Registered Drama Therapist and master trainer in Expressive Arts and Drama Therapy. Suraya has worked as Shakespeare for Social Justice Director for Marin Shakespeare Company since 2005, and helped expand Marin Shakespeare’s prison programs from a single prison (San Quentin) to 14 California prisons. She also co-founded Marin Shakespeare’s Returned Citizens’ Theater Troupe, a theater program for artists returning home from incarceration. She has worked as an adjunct professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies, John F Kennedy University and Santa Rosa Junior College, and supervised an Expressive Arts Therapy Program at Contra Costa Health Services, where she provided training and supervision to MFT associates in the use of therapeutic arts practices with multiple populations. Suraya loves facilitating Expressive Arts and Drama Therapy processes with individuals and groups in schools, prisons, hospitals, juvenile halls and in private practice, and has heavily focused her work on populations who are marginalized and oppressed. An avid practitioner of Playback Theater as well as a life-story performance coach, Suraya believes in the healing power of sharing and listening to each others’ life stories. She also has extensive experience in somatic practices including 5 Rhythms Dance, Open Floor Dance and Yoga. www.suraya.org
Tony Cyprien
Tony hails from Watts in southern California but spent most of his adolescence and all of his adulthood incarcerated. He was paroled from prison in 2011 and since then found opportunity for expression of his life experience through improv and storytelling. His stories have been performed at the Castro Theater, Herbst Theater, at a podcast festival in Anaheim, and two broadcasts on Moth Radio. He found support from Marin Shakespeare’s Returned Citizens Group and Formerly Incarcerated People’s Performance Project, has acted in “Train Stories” at the Marsh Theater in Berkeley and the Afro Solo Arts Festival in San Francisco, which culminated in a nomination for Best Performer in a Play from Broadway World San Francisco Bay Area Aware. He has enjoyed creating and performing both long and short solo performance pieces at small theaters and stages throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
Preston “Zoe” Gardner
My name is Preston Gardner. Many people call me Zoe. I was born in Richmond, California, where I went to many schools. I always wanted to be an artist. My life is grand of as of now, though growing up was kind of hard. I was incarcerated at 21 years old. I’ve changed a lot in my life from when I was 21. I'm looking forward to living my life the best way I know how through God, who gives me strength.
