WHAT IF......

for several hours a week, you could belong to a different family - with a different mother, father, sister or grandparents? How would this experience affect your life?

AND WHAT IF.....you could create a new you from your own imagination?

 These are some of the questions explored in Muriel Gold's book, THE FICTIONAL FAMILY.

Educators and social workers have long known the therapeutic benefits of role-playing in family counselling. This book provides the bridge between counselling and drama, by inviting readers to eavesdrop on Muriel Gold's acting classes and to look over her students' shoulders as they express personal reactions to their drama experiences.

 "Stanislavski, the legendary Russian theatre director, carried actors into imaginary circumstances through the use of the "Magic If". The actors would approach their roles by imagining what they would do IF they were King Lear or Ophelia.

This book shows how the Fictional Family technique can be of value not only to actors but also to teachers, those in the social sciences, psychology and the arts in general. By building awareness of creative potential and tapping into our unique inner resources, the technique becomes a vehicle for personal development, communication and the development of social skills.

Foreword by Arnold Wesker

Foreword by Olga Silverstein

Preface

PART ONE THE FICTIONAL FAMILY: EVOLUTION