Mental Health Players

The Mental Health Players are an improvisational theatre company sponsored by the Mental Health Association of the Southern Tier, comprised of trained actors and directed by performing arts professionals.

The Players dramatize social issues in order to raise awareness, sensitize audiences and facilitate problem solving. The Players provide a unique and exciting educational process and they can perform at any venue including schools, businesses, churches and anywhere else.

Each organization is carefully interviewed in order to understand the group dynamics and concerns or issues to be addressed. Appropriate research is done as needed, and a group of concerned and talented performers are assembled. Through role playing, the actors engage in "structured improvisational" scenes. The program is facilitated by mental health professionals who encourage the audience to address the actors who remain in character. This method is highly effective in creating meaningful and useful dialoge with the audience.