The Student as Director: Dealing with Performance Anxiety in an Undergraduate Psychodrama Class

Abstract

This article considers the student as director in an undergraduate psychodrama course. Various methods for dealing with the students' performing anxieties are delineated and evaluated. The results indicate that the experience of directing a psychodrama session provided students with increased confidence in their ability to perform in the role of director, preparation for the acquisition of
new roles by decreasing performance anxiety, and insight into the skills needed to direct a therapeutic experience.