Interview with Stephan Wolfert on Shakespeare, trauma, and mapping affective theatre communities

This conversation with the founder of the theatre-therapy network DE-CRUIT sheds light on the purposeful work that goes into shaping creative Shakespearean networks of affective affiliation among US veterans who participate in the program. Program participants create rituals, integrate Shakespeare's poetry with personal narratives to voice trauma, and, eventually, to communalise it with their audiences in a healing process. The transformation of audiences into witnesses is also discussed, as is the development of three new Shakespearean adaptations by DE-CRUIT: She Wolf, Make Thick My Blood, The Head of Richard, performing, respectively, gender and immigrant alienation, post-traumatic stress disorder, and attachment disorder.

Automated summary

This article introduces the purposeful work of US veterans participating in the theatre-therapy network DE-CRUIT, which involves shaping creative Shakespearean networks to foster emotional connection. Program participants utilize personal narratives and Shakespeare's poetry to voice trauma and facilitate healing with audiences. The article also discusses the transformation of audiences into witnesses and the development of three new Shakespearean adaptations by DE-CRUIT.