Theatrical therapeutic interventions in Cameroon
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Theatre use in therapeutic settings is more relevant now in Cameroon than ever. The incessant hike in crises leaves many in difficult mental health conditions that the available modern treatment facilities cannot fully address. Other alternatives can therefore be used to address these and this book looks at those related to theatre. The focus here is on using theatre techniques in therapeutic contexts either directly or indirectly through cross-examination of theatre productions and performative healing rites. Major therapeutic uses of theatre in Cameroon are discussed with a special focus on theatre for development, community theatre, theatre of the oppressed, and traditional healing ritual practices. In all these forms, therapeutic aspects of dramatic art are fore-grounded and developed to their fullest potential. The boundary separating these genres (western and Cameroonian) is narrow compared to their similarities. This examination portrays a Cameroonian model of theatre in health aimed at addressing mental health. As a model, it considers the sociocultural specificities of the participants who combine theatrical elements with health and communication to achieve wellbeing in a collective process. Theatre as a result of this serves as an ideal therapeutic modality wherein individuals and society get rid of their painful memories and thinking, and become involved in a healing process wherein, theatre acts as a powerful catalyst for behavioural change both on individual and community bases.
