Ideals - Role plays

Time needed

1 - 3 hours.

Cost

None.

Numbers

Unit.

Description

Two to four people role play a situation. They are briefed individually and confidentially on their roles beforehand. Other members of the Unit are the audience and are not allowed to make any comment during the role play. They may make comments when asked during a debrief.

Location

Den.

Transport

None.

Resources

Name tags for players, chairs and tables, a list of situations or scenarios (not too complex or too simple).

Contacts

Centre of Personal Encounter (COPE) Bookshop, 116 Hutt St, Adelaide.

Permission

None.

Training

Read all the books available on the subject. Practice makes perfect.

Problems

Roles being continued after the game is over. High emotions.

Precautions

Stay in control of the game. In the role plays use names which do not belong to anyone in the Unit or anyone else associated with them.

Comments

Do not ever have a fatality in a role play. Be aware that some issues may be upsetting to participants. Give them the opportunity to turn down a role for this reason. The debrief is the most important part of the activity. This is when the players ‘remove’ themselves from the role they played. Encourage them to talk about their feelings, but in a detached way, using the role name not their real name.