Q&A for People Who Care: Two Short Plays on Universal Health Coverage
Table of Contents
- What was what was your reaction what what was going through your mind from...
- Really the art of the problem you know more than the long speech you know with...
- That made them turn against one another and I wanted to have like a lot of the...
- Show when they were coming and they were saying they who is they...
- The decisions that they are being made because people don't want to talk about...
- I started my own nonprofit was called working arts to accomplish our unlimited...
00:00
what was what was your reaction what
what was going through your mind from
your perspective thank you very much for
inviting me to this wonderful panel and
thank you so much actors for bringing
those stories to life extraordinary and
I think where I would begin is coming
back to the proposition that you opened
this performance with Christopher which
is you know what does theatre have to do
00:31
with health how does performance relate
to healing and I I suppose I just want
to start with three three impressions of
what that relationship is one is that
the seams that were portrayed here
especially the way that they were
portrayed in these bursts these sort of
really strong images that burst into
life and then closed off have left an
impression with me and I don't know
about you but I often don't remember the
01:02
lengthy reports that I'll read about you
know whatever health concern I'm
researching at the time in the same way
that I will remember that birth scene
for example that was a very memorable
birth scene so it's left an impression
with me and emotional impression the
other is that it puts a human face to a
complex issue it makes it accessible by
bringing us into a human story with
specific characters at a specific time
and maybe the last thing I'll say for
01:33
now is that it allows us as an audience
and it allowed me as an audience to have
a private contemplation but in a public
space and there's a paradox in that I'm
having a private contemplation about an
issue that I think about or don't think
about and and yet I'm doing it with
others so a few impressions to begin
with thank you so much thank you I'm
honored to be here thank you for
inviting me to this panel something that
02:05
maybe you should know about me is I am a
nurse
and so well thank you and and my role is
educating nurses you know nurse
practitioners and and registered nurses
and and and like my colleague here you
know the personal that is really the
impact right that happens with this I
thought it made me think about patients
and people and my own experiences as a
02:37
nurse that I have interacted with and
who have often faced in our you know as
they call first world culture you know
these issues about paying for medication
can i what am I going to pay my rent am
I going to pay for my medication am I
here you're telling me here's all these
wonderful things I can do to promote my
health but I can't afford them they're
not accessible to me they're accessible
03:09
maybe to you but they're not accessible
to me and it's something that I think
lives out every day for for not only the
people but also for the practitioners
and the people that are engaged in this
healthcare system that is at times
absolutely crazy right and in what we
tell people they should be able to
achieve without any resources to
actually achieve them right and so it
03:41
was a very personal experience for me as
well and I want to thank the actors and
the people for bringing this forward
okay thank you very much and so on this
play I think that there are two
different stories one is more essential
health services how the people need to
access to the services and then the
second part is more financial aspect
which is a key component of the
universal coverage so I am very
impressed and thank you for all the
04:12
actors to explain this concept of
universal coverage which means access to
essential services with financial
section two the it's such a way too easy
for the general public to understand
this concept because I'm also a medical
doctor and also health economists it's
it's I find very difficult to explain
this concept to the general public and
also how to convince the people to
promote this this direction to access to
health services with a financial
protection and particularly the later
04:44
part with the show explain why this the
pouring of the fund is important for
people and those how we convince people
to agree with this dis approach to
pouring the funding from the different
income level and even the convince the
people why we need to pay for the money
for the patients because yes we are not
sick and they are different way to
understand because people might be sick
05:16
in the future or a family are sick or
this is a social social solidarity or
human lights and they are different wait
you understand the concept and then
pushing the star addenda but it's very
simple approach to explain this
direction and as you know in the next
next week there is a higher meeting on
USC and we are expecting the head of
states and Minister coming I think this
05:47
show is very good way to convince the
head two states to to push this
direction yeah thank you much hello
everybody I am Isabel wax motor and I am
be very touched by you know what you you
perform tonight because I think it's
very important because that touch you
know what is universal to us you know it
is about you know what is what is common
06:18
you know and what is common to every
human being it is you know the emotion
we have you know when it is reedit
process between each other what is
absolutely key to
to achieve universal if-else coverage
and it's very well portrayed I love it
because you portrayed you know the worst
condition you know what condition when
it is extreme
you know when what does it mean and as
06:50
well in you you think more accessible
way you know with the second part you
know with the accessibility to the
doctor but in fact it's too expensive
it's very well done you know to portray
the to aspect to Kaiser and that show at
the end it's it's the same issue you
know because you can die you know and
that demonstrate we we aren't are
07:20
dependent you know and you know when you
something happen to you that happened to
Zeus you know when we are one humanity
one else for all and I think we need to
come back to that you know to solidarity
you know between each other and some is
that it is a message you know and it's
very important to portrait that and
theater format I believe in that because
it's much more powerful and that touch
07:53
really the art of the problem you know
more than the long speech you know with
just norms and standards said that
really is after the people and they can
uptake you know the message and and do
something like you have portrayed you
know it's about three deities about
humanity and that need to be the message
all the time to what we are doing
thank you so much for the performance
08:21
tonight of the second piece I can't give
a professional reaction because I'm not
a health professional but where I can't
say first of all is to think Christopher
and all of the actors and the artists
involved the production thank you so
much for the wonderful work that you did
it was and it the first piece as well it
was very moving I'm very grateful
the only thing
I that I would add is just just to say
as a point of interest so Christopher's
been helping me to develop this play
over I guess about two years now
08:56
and so there's been a couple of drafts
of it there was a chaplain just wrote
sort of by myself is kind of just a
know-nothing playwright who doesn't know
any of the things that these folks do
and and in the course of I guess of
performing it in a couple of venues
Christopher get back to me and say hey
I'd like to ask you for this rewrite on
this and like playwrights are asked for
rewrites or like for a bunch of
different reasons and usually it's like
with dramaturgical development of some
guy know you know the character
development of this person or could we
do this play with five actors no six and
09:26
save a salary or whatever but in this
case it was it was could we he would say
would you consider a rewrite based on
something that I'm learning about this
circumstance about like you know when I
act use you say he said when I when I
take this play out I'd develop it with
world health professionals for example
one that he asked me for was he said
could you include something in there
about the fact that that he's in the
very first draft the doctor was sort of
just like the person at the top of the
power pyramid in this in this small town
09:58
he said he said could you rewrite it a
little bit to have the doctor be sort of
in the middle as a cog you know the
doctor is also someone who is suffering
from that a lot of funding has been cut
off from some sort of central funding
source and they'd like the the doctor is
inside sort of the same crucible of
pressure as everybody else then more
recently I think for this draft because
for each Adam II said he said could you
make sure that that that climate change
10:28
is incorporated as a referred to element
of this we said be his the people at
lycée he said people think of climate
change is like a separate issue from
world health but that's not how it would
that's how I thought you know I thought
do you know to to big serious issues but
that they were separate but that's
totally wrong they're actually
completely interlaced with each other in
a lot of ways and he was like could you
incorporate that into the script and so
it was it was sort of a unique privilege
as a writer to do rewrites based on sort
11:01
of like on-the-ground input from really
informed professionals as did that
making the drama better in a way that
I'd never that I'd never done before it
was it was it was a real pleasure and an
honor to get to work that way I've got
it built in I was born this way well I'm
not gonna comment because I was just too
involved in the whole thing but what I
would like to do is open it out to the
audience and you can ask questions off
11:32
the panel of the cast or just share your
own stories and experience whatever
you'd like the only thing that I would
ask and the ushers will run around with
microphones is that somebody else
actually point to people because I can't
see them so maybe would you like to be
the sort of facilitator of the
conversation yeah okay and I also just
12:03
want to acknowledge another great talent
in this room and that's hope Garland my
co-director
and just as a personal testimonial a few
years ago I was suffering from stage
three cancer and was given a 50% chance
of surviving the year spoiler alert
I lived but hope gave me an opportunity
to work with these actors as part of the
12:39
American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni
show and that process I believe was a
fundamental part of my healing and I
want to thank her and the other actors I
won't go so far as to attribute healing
powers to theater young I'm at w-h-o but
I will go so far as to say that the
theatrical experience gave me an
optimism and a centeredness that allowed
13:12
the healing to happen so maybe if
someone in the audience cares to ask a
question or make a comment someone here
in this Center hi I'm Anna I just want
to thank you for the performance it was
really insightful and I was related to
increase my understanding of what health
means and as you said climate change
related issues and it has definitely
left a very very deep mark on me the
13:45
question I would like to ask and it's
not addressed at name in particular but
is usually you have the idea that
developing countries lack health
facilities in the developed countries
have a lot of health facilities I found
it incredibly interesting how you turn
that around so I would like to
understand whether there was any thought
behind that thank you
of the author's or
oh I might be a question to you Oh in
terms of well you know I mean like in
14:26
this particularly dangers like in the
pie well only speaking for the second
play I mean a big thing with that was I
wanted to make it as I said I wanted to
go against my usual instincts in writing
a play where I'll pick out like a very
specific look like oh the play will very
specifically be said in a certain city
certain state whatever and and like have
a lot of the details of that location or
whatever in this case I wanted it to be
sort of is like archetypal as possible
so there's sort of a sense that it could
be happening you know I just and I even
14:58
wrote it in such a way that like I wrote
I wrote the scripts such as such that
need actors of any gender could play any
of the characters as I wanted it to be
really general as possible and I but I
wanted it to hit the idea and you know
others should I'm kind of an you know
kind of a know-nothing playwright and
these folks speak more clearly but I
very much wanted in the context of you
know the of the of the one I wrote the
pot that it could that it could be
happening just about anywhere like
developing country or maybe like maybe a
15:29
more rural part of the United States say
but I wanted very much the idea that the
resources existed but weren't being
shared equitably I didn't want it to be
that the resources just weren't there at
all the serum that that nobody had the
serum that the the that it very much was
an access issue and that once the once
the people in the story had gotten to a
point where they were they had gotten
past the various kinds of conditioning
16:02
that made them turn against one another
and I wanted to have like a lot of the
kinds of things that I notice are used
to turn people against each other like
like an over worship of the idea of like
a work ethic like like if you're
struggling financially that just means
you should work more and so people who
do that will you know will think less of
people who who don't do that or can't
or whatever but once those various
divisions are removed and once all those
people are unified and have ban-ban
banded together to find a way to like to
16:32
survive in the unfair situation once
they're unified in that way all of a
sudden they're like okay now that we've
found a way to survive in this unfair
situation why is this unfair situation
existing at all but you can't ask
yourself that question you can't get to
a place of asking yourself that question
until you've gotten past the survival
stage and and and then you feel strong
enough to kind of look around and go
actually why is any of this going on but
that's our i I don't know if that touch
is specifically on your question but
17:03
that's how I want to address it in that
play it's in terms of the other players
anybody else
well I I'd like to address the question
in terms of the real world not just the
plays it is true I suppose that where
there is wealth you have the ability to
have more hospitals more expensive
hospitals more advanced treatment I
suppose but it'll be interesting for all
of you to have a look at the UHC
17:35
indicator report that's coming out
tomorrow and just see what is the
correlation between gross national
product and progress towards universal
health coverage is wealth a direct
factor or not I do know from my personal
experience having worked a bit in Sri
Lanka I wouldn't call that a wealthy
country but they've achieved universal
health coverage you don't have to be
wealthy to do it and I imagine somewhere
18:06
in the world there might be wealthy
donor countries that I was born in that
might not have universal health coverage
so I I think by playing with that a
little bit I it it gets to a fundamental
truth that it's a little bit more
complex than you know whether or not a
wealthy country automatically has better
health
in a poorer country I spent most of my
18:38
w-h-o career in the beginning working on
health information systems and HIV
clinics in Africa and I can tell you
from my personal experience that it may
well be that many of the toughest health
problems are in Africa and in developing
countries but what is less known is that
the solutions are there too so I just
wanted to comment on it's just a
brilliant point that has been made you
19:09
know many number many of years ago I was
working in North Philadelphia and I will
tell you that newborn mortality rates in
that area were comparable to those in
developing countries I mean they they
were terrible and so again it makes the
point that just because you are in
considered a developed country does not
mean that there are not many pockets
19:40
within that country in which health
outcomes are deplorable for the people
that live in in certain areas and
certain neighborhoods another question
hello my name is Steven and the question
I have or what I saw depicted there in
the play was where the mill was standing
up against the the healthcare or the the
pot being collected and I wanted to
20:20
basically see how that plays in that the
employer basically standing up against
any type of of the workers putting
themselves together how that actually
plays out in real life
in the healthcare industry of how the
employers may act as a type of barrier
to sufficient healthcare to the workers
maybe that's a UHC 20:30 question yeah
20:51
of course there are different schemes so
it's typical the scheme that we have is
a social health engine scheme or
employment based insurance that the
people associate with the contribution
with employers studies the major part of
the contribution in the especially
developed country or middle-income
countries but also many low income
countries or the country that they all
still rely on the more informal informal
21:23
work I work for example farmer
Agriculture's they don't have any kind
of formal system to the employee to
contribute on this so I think this is a
different way to contribute on the
funding and then also that the maturity
of the society there are different
transformation to how to contribute
money either coming from task so words
are coming from the Insurance
contribution or is that coming from it's
more like subsidies and from different
21:55
products there different way but I think
it's very difficult to explain on the
own or different way but you know what
was your initial the idea on this the
contribution from the
defend was immoral I guess this is more
community based insurance scheme right
that is the more small community that
all all people belong to the community
contributing the and funding for the
community or the whole and those are
22:28
issue and you have portrayed very well
it's about you know some time as you
know over diagnosis you know don't we we
need to address as well this issue is
one aspect about the I partitions or a
distribution you know if a source but if
the price continued to to be more and
more I you know Enzo income don't change
you know in the society it's not
sustainable it's not affordable talk
it's it's about Mars financial the
global financial scheme need to be
23:00
review you know it's not just a
distribution process you know what I
mean now what type of quality it's not
just about the access but is about the
quality of care you know and so I would
you know if this the Genesis you know it
is is right is not about the Ignasi is
for example specifically for people that
can pay you know and that it is
additional elements you know in in in
23:32
the equation for me and we face that for
example say I know you know one
doozy T's of 2005 on the US dollar in
Switzerland you know to O'Keefe you have
no you know the full assurance you know
you cannot access to the treatment for
example you know
other questions here hello
that was wonderful thank you both of the
shows I thought the end of the second
24:09
show when they were coming and they were
saying they who is they
I thought that was a very evocative
question and as somebody I work with
it's an organization called American
promise and we're trying to pass a
constitutional amendment to get money
out of politics and I think that they
question to the pharmaceutical companies
to the insurance companies to the
hospital magnets like how do we in the
24:40
u.s. in this how do we get past the
legalized bribery that allows them to
kind of make it as it is
what are your ideas on that
[Laughter]
well I don't think I have an answer for
that actually but I I suppose the way
that I want to respond to that and
speaking as a drama therapist is to come
back to the theater and to pose that
25:13
because what what that play did was ask
us to contemplate the question and get
curious about it and get interested
about it and it it prompted your
question and if we were to move to a
different style of theater something
more interactive for example like forum
theatre we might actually pose that
question and invite different
possibilities to come from the audience
how do we grapple with this scenario and
if we could find that they as Michael
Moore as often tried to do in his films
and knock on their door what would we
25:45
say and would it just be one of us or
would it really require a collective
strategy and then what would that
collective strategy be so I tend to seek
out those kinds of responses on the
stage whether it be in a private room or
in a in a venue like this but open it up
to the rest of my colleagues here to
respond as well well
I I think as an artist the the artists
side of me says our job is to ask the
26:19
question not to provide the answer so
but I think from a w-h-o point of view
the whole purpose of having un technical
agencies with authoritative information
a mandate to to gather research on what
is what our effective approach is how to
bring different groups together to have
a constructive conversation I think
26:51
first of all a culture of open
scientific honesty you know where the
the facts are on the table and openly
debated and revealed and and I and I
think sometimes in today's culture
that's not as easy as it used to be but
to engage publicly you know to tell the
stories and that's where the
intersection with theatre comes in just
to start that conversation I you know
27:25
with the universal health coverage in
particular
w-h-o does not have a single recipe for
a member state what what we're trying to
do is show what are the evidence of what
works and what doesn't
but what each country then evolves in
its own society is going to be what's
right for them you know we can compare
the way pharmaceutical companies operate
in one country as opposed to another and
see what's effective what what actually
27:56
influences the quality of the medicines
the the the the price of the medicines
and and have an open conversation about
that and and even to a certain degree I
think perhaps make policy
recommendations on on what are effective
ways of regulating or not regulating
so that in the end people can afford the
medications one of the things that I'm
28:28
most proud of the w-h-o did during the
HIV epidemic was pushing hard for
generic versions of drugs to bring the
price down so that we could save entire
populations that were at risk because
the drugs are too expensive you know so
that there are ways of going about it
and things that you know strategies that
w-h-o has has at it advocated in the
28:56
past so alright there are ways hello I'm
here to ask opinions about education in
health care earlier than later because
this is a room full of adults and a few
I think may be minors but not super
young and as far as social marketing
goes sort of playing to the emotions of
29:31
people with the different plays that
were presented there's been suffering
going on for a very long time and I
question whether or not showing you know
suffering is what needs to happen
because it happens every day and
everyone knows it
so I just wonder about your opinions
again on putting health as a priority in
front of people younger and younger you
know could be a way to introduce the
30:03
communal pot to people as opposed to
waiting until they're so old so no
offense I mean you know just so you know
when it's almost too late and I say
those dogs a new tricks face well I'm
just wondering
you know I hope that this is a room that
is you know diverse that has people who
are involved in healthcare and
understand it and then some people who
are just new and curious because those
are the people that I think you're
trying to reach I'm actually one of the
30:34
people that's part of the choir that
you're preaching to because I'm both
patient six heart surgeries but I also
work in Perry up and Ori University of
Penn level one trauma centers so you
know I'm hoping that there are ways to
reach people that you know when you're
talking about social marketing you don't
have to tug in emotion and what I'm
seeing is that the earlier you're able
to introduce these topics to people
almost you know the more they become
31:04
used to understanding that you know
helping the community is the way to go
so what are your thoughts on the earlier
education so I I thought it was very is
it's just a really really great question
and I think it's it was very interesting
when you said that everyone knows that
there is suffering everybody sees it and
I guess what struck me about that was
31:35
but do they you know do do people who
are healthy and are out living their
lives really recognize and understand
what is happening to others around them
in terms of of their own suffering and I
I say that because sometimes even with
our own families sometimes we don't know
the choices that are being made and and
32:08
the decisions that they are being made
because people don't want to talk about
it you know people are sometimes ashamed
to talk about it that you know I I don't
have enough money or I I can't do that
or you know I'm making choices that that
maybe put me in a different situation
and I would like to be in but I'm not
necessarily going to share that and from
a healthcare perspective one of the
things that I know when you talk about
32:40
education that we we teach and we teach
and we teach is about understanding and
hearing patients and people's stories
and and engaged in advocacy advocacy
around those issues is just so important
because as healthcare providers and
that's the perspective that I'm speaking
from we do see it you do see it right
you see the the trauma you see the
worries about how are we going to pay
33:12
for that what is that going to cost that
specialists or no specialists right you
know what what is the cost of all of
that and so where is the voice of the
healthcare providers out there
advocating for change and telling the
bedside stories of our patients from the
perspective from which we see it right I
mean there is a cause to be a health
care provider there's a there's pain
there right there's pain and seeing
33:43
things that you can't fix for people and
you can't intervene but what we're
trying to say at least I know here our
case and I know many of our other
educators is your job is not only to
provide that direct care but to advocate
advocate locally regionally statewide
move your voice for because your voice
has power to help change what's
happening
thank you just nodding listening to
thank you I do want to respond just
34:20
briefly to say that I agree that these
ideas need to be seated earlier
especially the notion of the pot and I
will speak as a Canadian having moved
here 10 years ago and and you know
understanding very quickly that
conversations about socialism really
quickly turned into conversations about
communism and something to be you know
feared and run away from and I don't
want to romanticize Canada but I will
34:52
just a tiny bit which is just to say
that I grew up with stories or the just
the acceptance and the understanding
that our healthcare would be provided
for and it's we do have a two-tier
system there it is quickly changing in
that country as well but I didn't worry
about it as a child and we did hear the
history of how that happened it was a
story that was told in our history
classes about how that fight was won and
why it mattered and so the notion of the
35:23
pot and the simplicity of that image is
something that I think needs to be
shared earlier and I think it's really
important for us to grapple with it in
this room with this group of adults as
well because I could really identify
with the characters that you included in
that second play especially your
character the I'd actually don't
remember if you had a name in the play
but the character who's holding the
voice of I don't know if I should do
this because I think that we struggle
with an internalized while our
35:54
internalized we've we've internalized a
certain level of fear around collective
movement around this issue and so that's
the piece that I think that we very much
are struggling with here as adults in
this room so we know the suffering but
then what are we going to do about it
what is it going to take are we willing
to make that effort you know something
that occurs to me with regard to your
question is it's interesting the pot the
pot could almost be I mean maybe not
quite but it could almost be I put I did
36:25
a lot of Children's Theater when I was
young
and that was sort of like image I did I
did children's IDO both when I was in
elementary school and then later when I
was in middle in high school and it was
you know and that was something that I
was really into and it had a big effect
on sort of my earliest impressions of
things it was definitely an educational
tool for me the pot could almost aside
from its disturbing themes it could
almost be a piece of children's leader
because it's it's very it's very simple
archetypal there's no curse words no sex
no violence you almost could other than
36:57
the I mean it's possible that people
read and say this is a little too
disturbing for children to be but but
but one thing that your question makes
me think in terms of like early
education is that like I said I did a
lot of theater when I was young and
particularly when I was in high school I
was involved in a lot of sort of issue
what you might call issue plays about
issues facing teenagers and the issues
that those plays focused on it's not
that they weren't more the issues they
definitely were they were usually but
37:29
they were usually very individualized
things like eating disorders or suicide
or like or peer pressure or you know
they were like don't do drugs type plays
or whatever and those are all important
things but what occurs to me now just
listening to your question and listening
to some of the stuff that the folks on
the panel are talking about is we kind
of never did plays that questioned the
power structure that we worked in we
kind of never did plays that where we
that speculated on you know you know why
38:01
we were in the school system we were why
we had access to the resources we did
why people who might take teens who
might be having mental health problems
like like it wasn't just like the
message of those places always seek help
seek a counselor but good everybody did
everybody have equal access to
counseling services we never did plays
that ask those kinds of questions that
asked if we were being treated
appropriately in the structure that we
were operating within and maybe there
just need to be a lot more I mean I'm
38:32
just saying plays that's the only thing
I know other people have other
better ideas but maybe there need to be
a lot more educational place for young
people for teenagers that aren't just
about the highly individualized siloed
off subjects but are more questioning
about about structure in the striped
shirt this is truly amazing I was
invited not by my colleague through leap
39:04
it's a creative after-school program
hope she can't see me here but she's
looking but I've been inspired I'm an
educator now I work full time during the
day through the Department of Education
teach after school through the creative
arts but I consider myself from a young
child music is running my family and
it's been therapeutic we come from a
very loving but we have some
39:36
dysfunctions but music has always been
our key to just bring the wholeness and
healing coming from working and
recreational therapy I've seen the great
benefits of healing through the Arts
I wanted to also talk to some of our
actors and I've read seen a little bit
of your resume that and also from our
therapists because I've been inspired
and moved prior to move coming and sleep
40:09
I started my own nonprofit was called
working arts to accomplish our unlimited
potential and I've been inspired I'm a
mother of four my daughter is here with
me tonight she she's 15 and
working with young people I see a lot of
the stream ocean 'el and social
challenges that was brought up and I
also prior to I'm not gonna be that long
coming I used to teach an early child
40:42
care as well and when they care before
coming working in public school but
there is a lot of our young people who
are depressed in dealing with depression
mental struggles and of course we are
the number of suicide is growing with
young people you know and I feel a need
to address issues and use my voice and
creative as an actress singer to
41:15
transition into a recreational therapy
Atkins call myself an artivist you know
using art through healing and activism
and giving children a voice I would like
to know how we someone like myself and
and also speak to some of the artists
who have who how we can make that
connection through medical because I
feel that I need to use this vehicle to
41:47
be a more strong apart and give more
artists a vehicle to be of healing other
than just going into the doctor's office
and like you said not having the
resources to be able to afford and
people aren't going into arts and
medical professionals that are dealing
with mental illness or various mental
conditions as depression and oppression
as well so I just like to hear a little
more of some of you have been
42:17
experienced using arts as a vehicle of
healing and therapy well we actually
have a drama therapist who got certified
today
so I think yesterday you would not have
been qualified to answer that question
but today he is Madame thank you and
thank you for your brilliant beautiful
question thank you for asking it when
you were speaking it brought up so much
in me right and one of the things that
42:48
I'm really thinking about is building
community how do we build community for
those in need how do we build community
for those in need right and something
you said earlier Chris isn't I'm just
gonna ask the question how is art
healing
how is theatre healing right and how do
we build community using art using
theatre so one of the lines that I said
in the show is my character the father
43:17
and the doctor is we are not alone and I
think most importantly showing up for
individuals who are in need is essential
it's vital it's fundamental isn't it and
when we do that we show that we care we
show that there's love in the room and I
think that's very important you don't
need a fancy degree or any kind of
license to do this what you need is to
show up sure that you care and you spoke
so beautifully about the gifts that you
enjoy you're an actress you're a singer
there's music so offering your gifts in
43:50
a way that can inspire in a way that can
help people to express who they are on
the inside and bring that out in a way
that fosters connection in community
those are similar things I'm thinking
about and there's so much more and I
think that's why this is important that
we're here today to ask questions to
have conversations in this space and
then take those questions take these
conversations wring them out of this
space and continue on so we're not just
preaching to the choir we're talking to
a little bit of everybody and maybe
that's how it works a little bit there
44:21
that ants are just a little bit of your
question all right thank you
[Applause]
there's another question um yeah I feel
like your question and and her question
really tied together I am NOT a drama
therapist but I do applied theater which
is theater for social justice and
educational development I work in
schools I do devised theatre creating
original theatre with young people and a
44:52
for me it always comes back to story and
story is what unifies us and I really
wanted to speak to your question cuz you
you asked about the the emotion when I
was doing research for this character do
you know I could barely find a story
about a woman who burns in a conflict
zone it's all numbers its numbers and
statistics and maybe a line here or
there but barely anything and I went wow
like where are the stories and and and
45:24
it made me afraid like that that we're
gonna get these that we are getting or
are desensitized and that's why women
aren't getting the proper health care
that they need in this country or in
other countries whether it be a conflict
zone or or anywhere else especially
women of color in this country so you
know I don't I don't I personally don't
do healing my work can be healing but if
you're thinking about social justice and
and and young people I work with as
young as kindergarten doing social
45:55
justice theater ask them their stories
ask their opinions ask them to create
they care they know more than you think
and they can do this work
so I'm sensing some in the audience are
getting a little restless
perhaps we can continue this
conversation in the lobby with some
drinks I invite you all to join us there
but I would like to end with a quote
that's very much related to what has
46:32
been emerging from all of the
conversations here and it's actually a
quote it's it's one of my favorite ones
it's from Carl Jung the great Swiss
psychologist who once said loneliness is
not the absence of people loneliness is
the inability to express what matters to
you most and I think particularly when
we talk about our youth the inability to
47:01
express what is authentic to them is the
source of many of our discontent today
you know so giving that voice
creating plays that are not just
didactic but involve the audience where
we see we see an ownership there it's
something that Isabel and I talked about
today in terms of working in Ebola
response in the Democratic Republic of
47:32
Congo how do they own their own story
and and and then create community
through the act of communal storytelling
and and and theatre is just one way of
doing it there there are others as well
but on that note why don't we go to the
lobby and commune there is some shared
stories