Split Theatre’s Four Stages of Social Change Through Theatremaking

The curtain rises. A hush falls over the audience. In that moment, anything is possible.

It's in this charged silence that we recognize a fundamental truth. Stories pulse through our veins. They're the lifeblood of human connection, the currency of understanding.

At Split Theatre, we work with these stories. Our four-stage process turns personal narratives into performances that explore social issues.

We start with you. Your experiences, your perspective, your lens on the world. It's raw material, waiting to be shaped. Then we challenge you. We push you to dig deeper, to find the threads that connect your story to larger societal patterns.

As we progress, you'll question your own assumptions. You'll step into unfamiliar roles, seeing the world through new eyes. It's a personal and collective journey of growth. Our goal is to create storytelling theatre that matters. We aim for performances that resonate, provoke, and inspire change.

In this blog, we'll take you through each stage of our process. We'll show you how we work with individual experiences, how we connect them to broader issues, and how we turn them into powerful theatrical pieces.

Join us as we pull back the curtain on Split Theatre's unique process—showing how we use  theatre as a tool for social change.

Stage 1: Establishing Your (New) Personal Lens

We all see the world differently. Our experiences color our perceptions, creating a unique filter through which we interpret everything around us. At Split Theatre, we call this your "personal lens."

In the first stage of our process, we dive into these lenses. We ask participants to bring a story or text that resonates with them. It could be anything - a childhood memory, a news article, a poem that always stuck with you.

Then, we dig into the why. Why does this particular story speak to you? What experiences in your life make it significant?

The process can be surprising. Often, participants find connections they never realized were there. A seemingly simple story might reveal deep-seated beliefs or unexamined assumptions about the world.

This stage is about self-discovery, but it's also about developing empathy. As we share our stories and listen to others, we start to see the world through different lenses. We begin to understand how varied human experience can be.

It's challenging work. It requires honesty, vulnerability, and a willingness to question yourself. But it's also exhilarating. There's a unique thrill in uncovering the hidden influences that shape your worldview.

As we move through this stage, we're laying the groundwork for everything that follows. We're gathering the raw material that will eventually become compelling, socially-conscious theatre.

Remember, there are no right or wrong perspectives here. Every lens is valid, every story important. What matters is the exploration, the willingness to look deeper and understand more.

Stage 2: Figuring Out The Specific Social Issue That Your Personal Lens Amplifies

Now that we've explored our personal lenses, it's time to widen our focus. In this stage, throughout theatre and social change, we ask: Why does your perspective matter to others? What social issue does your story illuminate?

This is where the personal becomes political. We push participants to identify a societal problem that their unique viewpoint sheds light on. It's not about grand, sweeping issues. We're looking for specific concerns that affect real people in tangible ways.

Maybe your experience as a first-generation college student reveals systemic barriers in education. Or your childhood in a rural area highlights the urban-rural divide. Whatever it is, we want to find that connection between your individual story and broader social patterns.

At Split Theatre, we believe that effective theatre considers its audience. It's not enough to express yourself; you need to communicate something meaningful to others. This stage is about closing the gap between personal experience and public relevance.

It's a challenging shift. Many participants struggle to see how their individual stories connect to larger issues. But when that connection clicks, it's powerful. Suddenly, personal anecdotes become entry points into complex social discussions.

We also focus on presentation. How can you share your perspective in a way that others will understand and connect with? This is all about finding the universal elements in your specific experience.

This stage often involves tough conversations. We question each other, challenge assumptions, and dig deeper into the implications of our stories. It can be uncomfortable, but it's necessary. This is how we move from personal narrative to socially relevant theatre.

The goal isn't to solve societal problems single-handedly. It's to start conversations, to shed light on issues from new angles, to make people think and feel in ways they haven't before.

By the end of this stage, participants have a clear idea of the social issue they want to address and why their perspective offers a valuable contribution to the conversation. They're ready to move from introspection to action, from personal story to public performance.

Stage 3: Re-Evaluating Your (Current) Personal Lens

Now comes the hard part. We've explored our personal stories and connected them to social issues. But are we seeing the whole picture?

In this stage, we turn a critical eye on ourselves. We ask the tough question: Why should anyone care about our perspective?

It's a humbling process. We all have blind spots, areas where our vision is limited by our experiences. These gaps in understanding can undermine even the most well-intentioned message.

So we dig deeper. We question our assumptions. We look for the holes in our arguments. It's not about tearing ourselves down. We simply want to build a more solid understanding.

This stage involves a lot of back-and-forth. Participants challenge each other, offering new perspectives and pointing out oversights.

We use various techniques to shake up our thinking. Role-playing exercises put us in unfamiliar shoes. Research assignments expand our knowledge base. Group discussions expose us to diverse viewpoints.

Nobody ever reaches a "correct" perspective. However, most begin to recognize the complexity of social issues and the limitations of any single viewpoint. It’s during this stage that participants begin developing a more nuanced, empathetic understanding of the world.

This process often leads to surprising shifts in thinking. Participants frequently find their initial ideas evolving, sometimes dramatically. It's not unusual for someone to end up advocating for a position quite different from where they started.

These shifts aren't failures. They're growth. They represent an expansion of understanding, a broadening of perspective. They're the essence of what makes theatre a tool for social change.

By the end of this stage, participants have a deeper understanding of their chosen issue. They're ready to create theatre that expresses a viewpoint, and invites audiences into a nuanced exploration of social realities.

Stage 4: Stepping Into New Shoes

This is where the journey reaches its peak. The final act, if you will.

In the fourth and final stage of our process, we invite you to step entirely outside of yourself and into the shoes of another. We ask you to take on a socially recognizable role—perhaps a school teacher, a delivery driver, a nurse, or any figure in the fabric of society.

You begin by writing a story for your chosen role, infusing it with your personal lens. This means bringing your unique experiences, insights, and emotions to a character that may be vastly different from who you are. It's a fusion of the familiar and the unfamiliar, the personal and the universal.

At first, it might feel like uncharted territory. How do you authentically portray someone whose life experiences differ so greatly from your own? That's where the real work begins. Through repeated engagement in our established learning cycle—reflection, critical examination, and dialogue—you dive deeper into the role.

Rehearsals become spaces for exploration. Regular analysis by facilitators and peers encourages you to dig deeper, challenge stereotypes, and reveal hidden truths about the character and, in turn, the societal role they represent.

This process is eye-opening. As you inhabit this role, you start to perceive the world from a different perspective. You gain insights into the challenges, prejudices, and expectations that shape their reality. Your portrayal becomes more detailed, filled with authenticity and empathy.

But it's not just about you. When you bring this character to the stage, you offer the audience a fresh perspective. You challenge them to reconsider their assumptions about the people who occupy these roles in real life. It's a powerful exchange—one that can shift perceptions and spark conversations.

At Split Theatre, we believe this is where theatre truly becomes a tool for social change. By humanizing and giving voice to societal roles often overlooked or misunderstood, we open doors to empathy and understanding. 

Participants often find this stage both the most challenging and the most rewarding. It's demanding to step so fully into another's experience, to confront your own biases and limitations. But it's also exhilarating to break through those barriers, to expand your personal lens in ways you hadn't imagined.

By the end of this stage, you've deepened your understanding of the role you've portrayed and gained huge insights into the social structures and issues connected to it. You've grown as an artist, and as a person.

Our final performances aim to connect in many ways. We create theatre that’s engaging, meaningful, and relevant to today’s society. We want our audiences to leave not just entertained but inspired to see the world in a new way.

Craft Your Lens on Society Through Theatre

At Split Theatre, we're all about giving you life-long skills that reach far beyond the stage. These are the essentials for being an active citizen, a compassionate leader, and driving real social change.

We challenge you to see the world in new ways, to question what you take for granted, and to create performances that make people think and inspire them to act. We're not here to offer quick fixes or personal makeovers. Instead, we provide a framework to engage with the world's complexities, using the power of theatre to shine a light on social issues in fresh and compelling ways.

Ready to dive into theatre-making and develop your unique perspective on society? Join our next workshop. Discover how mastering this craft can sharpen your ability to analyze, communicate, and make an impact on the world around you.