Information, Education and communication: Role Playing


Role Playing:

The role of playing technique is the spontaneous unrehearsed acting out of a situation by a group or by selected members of a group.

Advantages:

  1. Clarifies points. The method is new and now.
  2. Gives additional insight of a problem.
  3. Useful for adult learning.
  4. Insures high degree of audience participation.
  5. Gives better understanding.
  6. To get a common focus on a problem, and in large meetings.
  7. To test for reality.
  8. To gain insight into feelings of another person.
  9. In the development of a skill.
  10. It introduces the situation to both sectors and observers a dramatic impact. To make meetings more interesting through involvement, and common focus.
  11. Pinpoints a problem and gets it outside of the group or individual
Limitations:
  1. Needs skillful leader.
  2. Needs friendly spontaneous atmosphere.
  1. Role playing is not always an appropriate method. The use of role playing can be worse than a waste of time when the situation is not suited to the use of the technique.
  2. Role of playing takes time. It should not be tried unless there is sufficient time for the dramatic skit and adequate group discussion following the skit. A speaker, a role playing demonstration and a discussion in one meeting is too much.
  3. Role playing can be very ineffective when it is considered as an end rather than a method of reaching a desired goal.
  4. An effective role playing scene is usually short. The method becomes ineffective if used too long. The scene must be cut at the proper time.
  5. Sometimes the role play is above or below the level of understanding and maturity of the group.
  6. Groups should not attempt to deal with problems that are not their own or at their level
Defining the problem:

Participation of the group in the selection and defining of the problem is desirable. The problem should be significant and close to the people playing the roles as well as to the observers. The problem must be valid and clear. It must be sufficiently simple in order for the participants to discuss it rationally. Care should be taken to avoid problems which would uncover deep-seated issues which would distract from the purposes of the role playing process. The observers as well as the actors must understand the problem thoroughly.

Establishing a situation:

The design of the role play or situation is dependent upon the outcomes desired. Care should be taken to avoid compels situations which might take the observers attention away from the problem under consideration. The situation provide such content to make it real to the participants and group, and at the same time, give them the common orientation and insight desired.

Casting of characters:

The success of the role playing process is often determined by the extent that proper roles and actors are selected. The roles to be acted out should be carefully selected. Only these that will contribute to the purpose of the meeting should be used. Ordinarily it is better to involve a few roles than a large number.

The best actor possible should be selected for each role. Roles should be given to those persons best qualified to portray them and most willing to do so. Persons should not to forced to assume certain roles. Nor should persons be asked to assume roles which might result in embarrassment following the presentation.

The discussion leader as well as various members of the group:

Briefing of participants:

Spontaneous role playing necessitates no briefing. Planned and assigned role playing may, however, demand considerable briefing and planning. It is important that the role players assume their roles at the appropriate times, and that they play their roles to the desired end. Briefing is necessary in order to acquaint the role players with their responsibilities. The briefing may be public or private as the situation demands. In no case should the briefing structure what rehearsed in advance.

Acting out of roles:

It is usually best for the audience to be unaware of the roles that are being enacted. The action should be carefully timed and spontaneous. It is important when several role players are involved, that they move into the role play at the same time, and that they keep their roles until it is time to cut the act.

Cutting:

The effectiveness of role play may be greatly reduced if the play is cut short, or if permitted to continue too long. The timing of the cutting is very important. Long role playing scenes are usually ineffective. Only a few minute may be required to enact the desired roles.

The scene should be cut as soon as there has been sufficient action for the group to analyse the situation and the direction it should take. In some cases the scene can be cut when the group can project what would happen if the roles were continued. The role play should always end if the actors have reached an impasse due to improper casting or briefing.

Discussion and analysis of action

The final step in role play is the discussion during which the action is analyzed. This step should be the clincher. If the roles have been properly played, the observers will have developed the desired understanding of the problem under consideration. Discussion should be focused upon the facts and principles brought out rather than upon an evaluation of the role players. It is a good idea to permit that actors to express their viewpoints first. There will be less hesitance on the part of the observers after the actors have expressed themselves.

The chairman or director has the responsibility of pulling together the facts that have been presented during the role play and in the discussion following, and formulating the conclusions concerning the solution to the problem.

Ground Rules For Role Play:
  1. Do not have a person play his own role (exceptions to be noted).
  2. Audience and players must accept the role play situation, just as it is (will sometimes try to escape by criticing situation).
  3. Dont burlesque-introduces extraneous stimuli-cant see player as a real person.
  4. Role playing needs a warm-up period-players needs to get feelings about it.
  5. Role playing demands that you have sufficient time for discussion afterwards. (One play planned by group- 2 hours).
  6. Better to ask people who are playing roles to express feelings first.
  7. To get audience participation, usually ask group to identify with players in some way.
  8. Except for very spontaneous role play-need a director to see that ground rules are covered.
  9. Role playing taken planning.
Questions to raise in use of role play:
  1. Is this a skill that needs some insight?
  2. Is it a human relations problems?
  3. Dont use it on compels problems, or problems needing knowledge, or data outside group.