When patients run the show: the Sderot Psychiatric Center's Puppet Theater

Psychiatric rehabilitation combats the damaging effects of mental illness on living, occupational and social skills, and strives to help patients lead creative and fulfilling lives. Medical and social changes, as well as financial pressure, have all increased the need for community rather than institutional rehabilitation. New philosophical emphases highlight patient self-actualization and empowerment. This paper describes the development of a puppet theater, whose members and artistic director are almost all chronic psychiatric patients; the project has achieved steady sheltered employment status and been awarded the first Zussman-JDC prize by the president of Israel. Interviews with patients elicited major differences between patient perceptions of traditional rehabilitation frameworks and the theater. Theater is more creative than typical sheltered employment opportunities for mental patients, and puppet theater has unique aspects that may be especially suited to their needs. Patients found participation an empowering experience.