Northern Ireland Group Psychotherapy Conference, August 2011

RWTG travels to Belfast, Northern Ireland August 11 & 12, 2011 for the 14th annual Northern Ireland Group Psychotherapy Conference, entitled “It Can be Done: The Power of the Group to Bear The Unbearable”. RWTG will present the play, Rounding Third, by Richard Dresser as the opening plenary presentation to begin the conference. The conference will feature two days of workshops, talks, and process groups for participating group therapists from the Belfast, Northern Ireland area.

Rob Williams makes his directorial debut in this repertory production that features Liz Marsh and Yavar Moghimi in the roles of Coach Don and Assistant Coach Mike. Bob Schulte is serving as Executive Producer. RWTG member Hallie Lovett serves on the Planning Committee for the Conference, and is assisting the creative team in their preparations to travel to Belfast.

Rounding Third is the tumultuous journey of two American Little League coaches through an entire summer season, from their first tentative meeting to the climactic championship game. Don is the blue-collar, ‘win-at-all-costs’ veteran coach whose son is the star pitcher. Michael is a corporate, ‘it’s-how-you-play-the-game’ newcomer to game of baseball whose son is still learning the fundamentals. Despite their differences, Michael and Don form an uneasy alliance for the benefit of the team and their sons.

Over the course of exhilarating victories, heartbreaking defeats, and interminable rain delays, the two men struggle over how to best lead the team. Don thinks they should only be teaching the kids how to be winners, and thereby survive the rough and tumble of life. Michael believes they should be protecting the kids from the uglier side of competition while making sure everyone has a good time playing together. Out of these sometimes conflicting philosophies of competion and cooperation, deeper concerns emerge. What values should we instill in our children? How, and for how long, do we protect them from the harsher realities of adult life? How ultimately do we prepare them to survive and thrive in the 21st century?

RWTG will also present a workshop on Thursday afternoon, August 11 titled, Rehearsal for Living, inspired by J. L. Moreno’s famous dictum. This workshop will provide participants the opportunity to read from the play, Scenes from the Big Picture by Owen McAfferty (a play about contemporary Belfast, Northern Ireland) as a way to understand the interplay of past, present and imagined future in constructive change processes, both within and beyond the therapy group.

Bob Schulte

St. Elizabeths Hospital, Washington, DC

RWTG presented a play reading of ‘ART’ by Yasmina Reza, with post-performance discussion, as part of the psychiatry resident training day at Saint Elizabeths Hospital in Southeast Washington, DC. The Group performed at the invitation of Farooq Mohyuddin, M.D., who is medical training director at Saint Elizabeth Hospital. The RWTG members performing the play included Rob Williams, John Dluhy and John Thomas. Bob Schulte served as stage director and discussion facilitator.

Bob Schulte