Love and other feelings on the stage of therapeutic theater. 40 years of experience working with people with schizophrenia

The use of drama therapy in the treatment of people with schizophrenia in a theatre group has a tradition of almost 40 years in Krakow. The preparation of performances and appearances in front of an audience requires the components known from social skills training. In this work, a brief description of the development of "Psyche" theatre and its place in a community-based comprehensive treatment programme is described, using Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" as an example. The casuistry of a patient, serves as an illustration to reflect on the importance of the role in the play for the subsequent in-depth individual psychotherapy. The authors emphasise the attractiveness of the public performances in a Krakow theatre, which serve as opportunities for encounters with young people. They have enormous educational value in reducing prejudice against mentally ill people.