This book harnesses the theory and practice of dramatic arts for the applied use in communication education. It introduces readers to educational role-play and how to use it, arguing that complete immersion is crucial to successful learning. Educational role-play sprang into life in many places including the medical world in the 1960s. Now, fifty years later, the field has grown exponentially across the world. Heinrich discusses how through role play interactions become more authentic, discussion becomes more focused and people take risks, and grow. Early chapters in Part I focus on theory, show how and why role-play works, and introduce the key performative factors of aesthetic distance, defamiliarization, framing, and focus that produce its dynamism. Chapters in Part II discuss how these ideas inform every aspect of role-play practice, offer practical guidance on designing and running scenarios, how to be more confident and mindful as player or facilitator, and provide a widearray of techniques to handle challenging situations. Most of the examples are drawn from medical communication, but the insights and techniques are equally applicable to other fields such as business, law, policing, and the military. The book will be of interest to educators, workplace trainers and managers, facilitators, role-play actors, and scholars interested in role-play performance.

Paul Heinrich holds a PhD in Theatre and Drama from Northwestern University, USA and is the Founding Creative Director (retired) of Pam McLean Centre, University of Sydney, Australia.

Part I. Theory.- Chapter 1. Virtual Worlds.- Chapter 2. A Model of Performance.- Chapter 3. Role-play as Performance.- Chapter 4. Role-Play as Rehearsal.- Chapter 5. Role-Play as Drama.- Part II. Practice.- Chapter 6. The Workshop Team.- Chapter 7. Designing Role-Play.- Chapter 8. Where to Hold a Role-Play Workshop.- Chapter 9. Working with Actors.- Chapter 10. Managing Performance Anxiety.- Chapter 11. Beginning the Role-Play Workshop.- Chapter 12. Managing Aesthetic Distance.- Chapter 13. Effective Facilitation.- Chapter 14. Observation and Appreciation.- Chapter 15. Words, Words, Words.- Chapter 16. Body Language and Imagery.- Chapter 17. Managing Emotions.- Chapter 18. Facilitation Techniques.- Chapter 19. Workshop Formats.- Chapter 20. Composure.- Chapter 21. Observation Exercises.