Posted by Carol Thea, LCSW—

Myrna Ram, LCSW, Iris Sugarman, LCSW and myself, all of New York School for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis, participated in a very lively talkback following a recent performance of Family Week.  Once again Beth Henley takes on the dysfunctional family and once again she speaks through the experience of females. The men are not seen and become the background, though important pieces of the puzzle, in the play.

Many people stayed for the talkback and were very interested in the emotional and psychological aspects of this play. Since the play takes place in a psychiatric facility where recovery of the very depressed woman whose son has died is the focus, questions about the facility and the supposed therapy were many. The play enfolds when family members (this case mother, sister ,daughter) arrive for “family week”.  They are there to help the patient recover, and during this the family dynamics are exposed and played out.  The play begins with the focus on all negative emotions that are to be explored and confronted. It is only when a positive emotion can be spoken from mother to daughter that acceptance of terrible loss (actual and psychic) and possible recovery can begin.

This was an unusual talkback in that we were there to explore the themes and metaphors of the play as professional psychotherapists rather then speak of the play structure, acting, directing, writing as I imagine most talkbacks following a play entail. This was a wonderful experience and fun for us and we hope for the audience that stayed to participate.