A number of married women have often walked up to Alison Mazanec and asked her: “What have you done with my husband?” Surprised at the positive change undergone by their spouses after a couple of drama classes, the women would listen to Ms Mazanec explain the therapeutic powers of drama.
The 47-year-old Australian, who is based in Bristol, is a speech and drama specialist as well as the executive principal (UK) of the Helen O’Grady Drama Academy.
She recently visited Malta to deliver a couple of seminars to the local branch of the academy and to train Maltese drama teachers. She has taught all ages, from children and youths to adults.
[attach id="318162" size="medium"]Speech and drama specialist Alison Mazanec. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier[/attach]
“We look to increase verbal skills, confidence and self-esteem,” Ms Mazanec explained. “We seek to engage with children, tap into their potential, support them and allow them to shine.”
She works on developmental drama, whereby the focus is on honing personal and social skills. Pupils are not made to sit for examinations, so they are not compared, judged or graded.
Come along and learn how to be the person you want to be
Often enough, Ms Mazanec continued, children took up hobbies and extracurricular activities that required a specific set of skills.
“For instance, ballet requires skills coordination and not everyone has that. While such activities are beneficial, sometimes children can become very negative, having to repeatedly hear: ‘that’s wrong, do it again’.
“Not every child is sporty or academic. In drama, however, everyone just fits into his or her own niche.”
Ms Mazanec recalled how a five-year-old girl was brought to her. She was so shy that she was unable to raise her eyes to meet Ms Mazanec’s. Yet, slowly but surely, she started to emerge from her shell by first making eye contact and then communicating.
She kept attending classes until she turned 18 and is now studying to qualify as a drama teacher in the hope of passing on the valuable skills to other introverted children.
Technology has often operated as a double-edged sword, somewhat leading to the waning of unmediated, verbal communication.
Ms Mazanec stressed the importance of being empowered by language. She teaches her students to develop clear, articulate speech and to converse and discuss in a creative manner.
Through imaginative games, lessons escape morphing into the somewhat tedious delivery of elocution lessons recited at school. Developmental drama classes helped unlock the imagination of adults too, Ms Mazanec insisted.
An eclectic mix of people attend the classes, from dentists to business people.
“They all come to you for different reasons: some for fun while others seek the social aspect of it and enjoy having a circle of people with whom to share their love and passion for drama. We’re in grown-up land but there’s a child in each and every one of us.”
Drama could also be beneficial for people with certain forms of disability. It allows them to integrate with other children who, in turn, learn to work together with children of different abilities.
What would she tell people juggling with the idea of attending drama classes?
“Come along and learn how to be the person you want to be.”