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Situation Recreation Theatre

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There are certain events in my life that have been extremely influential in sorrowful ways, mostly due to miscommunication. In my head I think about them and relive them, and have done so in many ways from different viewpoints, to try and understand, move on and better understand what happened and learn more about myself.

I guess primarily I'm leaning towards relationship issues as a point of departure for this idea - though perhaps it could be applied to other events that everybody has experienced - as I shall try to illustrate.

so - for example you have a fight - or to go to extremes break up with your partner. In the minds of both parties there is a stale mate - both feel they are justified in their actions and either deny or can't see or understand the other's point of view.

As is often the case, after some time - usually days,weeks or months of emotional chaos, finally both parties communicate effectively, such that the problem or situation that arose is discussed properly and both understand what the other was or is feeling and make up.

Small grievances aside - major psychological relationship head trips that occur in your life are usually because of a lack of effective communication of how you feel and what you have experienced in any given situation.

In this frustration, go to the Situation Recreation Theatre. A small group of actors are standing by to simulate situations that have happened in the past that can properly communicate how you are being treated, or how you percieve this part of the world - in your own eyes.

The first stage is to work up a script based on your own personal memories of certain events, with each of the characters understanding the motivations, character traits and personalities of the players you choose.

You can then take the actors into your home or natural environment to play out the recreations - or use a simulated setting at their studio with props, lighting, sound etc. The script is then acted out making a dramatization of what you have in your head - as what is, or was, or did happen in the particular situation.

This is all recorded onto video/DVD and packaged appropriately, and then can be given to the person in question - to try and show them how you have percieved an event or the time you spent with them. Once they view it, they can then see what cogs have been turning in your head to arrive at your own percieved feelings of the situation.

Vice versa - if you are to recieve a DVD from the Situation Recreation Theater, you can better understand how someone else sees their world, and you in it - through their (dramatized) eyes.

Outside of relationships, you could, for example, provide your boss with such a product - the character that portrays you being the hero and he/she being the villian, recreating the ongoing struggle or the incident that broke the camel's back.

I guess this would essentially be most useful in those situations, where you lost a really good friend or loved one because of some stupid situation that was percieved differently and incorrectly by one or both parties.

benfrost, Feb 19 2005

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       I also thought that this could be done virtually - like the sims or in a quake engine scenario to cut out having real actors. Some sort of accessible interface that let you choose the faces, the setting, sound and what is said, to illustrate how you percieve or percieved any given situation, to then be given to the person in question.
benfrost, Feb 19 2005
  

       Envisioning a mini-series on cable: [Halfbakery: The Drama. A baker has his annotations deleted, and his angst and musings lead him to new conclusions about his life]
normzone, Feb 19 2005
  

       Propose to have normzone's anno deleted as an experiment.   

       [ben]...[+]. And my deepest sympathies, for whatever it was that inspired this.
moomintroll, Feb 19 2005
  

       Stale mate?
Basepair, Feb 19 2005
  

       This is a cool idea. It would be most useful to resolve hostility coming from long successions of compounded misunderstandings and miscommunications. That kind of thing is messy to discuss. People keep changing the subject. Your dramatization is a much better way of communicating your view of a long chain of events.   

       I think that the most important part of such a service is not the actors or the cameras, but an advisor who helps you as you write your script. He would give you emotional support as you write about painful events, and also provide perspective on the situations you write about. With this help, you are more likely to write a script that will get through to your mate, rather than just being another volley in the battle. If your mate is demonized in your script, the video is pointless, except as a way for you to face your own distorted thoughts.
robinism, Feb 20 2005
  

       Yes, I agree with the advisor suggestion. We need them everywhere. But Robinism, you know that sort of thing has been successfully stamped out in our province by drunk driving politicians. Here in this village of 50 idiots controlling the lives of thousands, provincial MLAs smirk at the lack of electronic feedback systems to tell society of the horror show going on here. I've decided to be undemocratic too this election in three months. I'm deciding which blowhard in the province to campaign against with a massive sign campaign.   

       Don't waste this idea on relationships, if she's not communicating, you've been dumped and there's already somebody new. An outsiders point of view.
mensmaximus, Feb 20 2005
  

       nothing has happened to me of any consequence of late, but often I find myself musing on past situations especially wondering how other people might have felt that i might not have picked up on.   

       people often don't communicate how they feel or felt, and can go years carrying things that are impossible or inappropriate to explain in words.   

       i guess this could easily lead to outrageous distortions, but a mediating advisory party as you suggest [Robinism] could keep it down to earth.   

       maybe as a celebratory recreation also - like to give to your grandmother on dvd, dramatizations of events that you experienced with her that you enjoyed immensely - to express love and connection.
benfrost, Feb 20 2005
  

       Our local Sam the video man rents himself out to video-tape special occasions but when I asked him about working on a documentary about the town and its issues, he begged off. Sounds pretty innocent but I think it calls to the issue that just because a group of heartbeaters can stand on their two hind legs and hold video cameras, it doesn't mean there will be more justice in this world.   

       I like the idea/issue and it is well thought out and written.
mensmaximus, Feb 20 2005
  

       You know, silly me thought upon reading the title that this would have to do with reenacting situation as you would want to. For instance: you've had a fight with a loved one, or boss, or what have you, but at that moment, you really couldn't think of all those good points to make. Now, hiring actors, you can replay the scene, but now you -do- know what to say. Of course, this is purely for personal gratification. Still, I like this one too. +
Trickytracks, Feb 20 2005
  
      
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