9 Inner Dialogue

Through inner dialogue, we can pause key moments of the scene to gain more personal insights into characters’ thoughts that the character may not say aloud. The Joker can use inner dialogue during re-enactments or out scenes in order to add additional layers to a situation. For example, if there was a re-enactment of Missed Interpretation (Chapter 18), what were these characters thinking during the silence that is part of the scene? How do their thoughts differ from what they might say out loud? What might this tell us about how people react when they recognize their own biases?

Considerations while Jokering

  • Ask those presenting inner dialogue to speak in the first person, not third. This establishes a stronger sense of belief.
  • If comfortable and consent is given, have those speaking the inner dialogue gently place their hand on the shoulder of the character they are giving the inner dialogue for.

Examples of Inner Dialogue

  • What’s in a Title? (See Chapter 14)
  • Labels (See Chapter 16)
  • Missed Interpretation (See Chapter 18)

License

Haunting our Biases: Using Participatory Theatre to Interrupt Implicit Bias Copyright © 2022 by Kevin Hobbs; Michael Martin Metz; Nadia Ganesh; Sheila O'Keefe-McCarthy; Joe Norris; Sandy Howe; and Valerie Michaelson. All Rights Reserved.

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