The recovery project : three dramatic works concerning alcoholism and recovery

Abstract

This dissertation explores the transformative nature of storytelling in alcoholism recovery. I created a trilogy of dramatic works titled The Recovery Project, which address the underrepresented narrative of recovery through my personal experience with alcoholism recovery, and the experiences of others. The three plays, Sliding into Home, The Disappointments, and The Recovery Project are not a trilogy in the traditional sense; rather they represent the three stages in the life of a recovering alcoholic: active alcoholism, acceptance of a problem, and recovery. Sliding into Home is a family tragedy told with a non-linear structure. The Disappointments is a semi-autobiographical inspired work about my journey through treatment. The final play, The Recovery Project is an ethnographic performance text. I conducted interviews with several people who have differing lengths of sobriety. Based on these interviews, I wrote a non-fiction narrative about finding recovery. Each dramatic work is prefaced with an introduction that describes the inspiration for each play, my personal connection to each work, their specific purpose, dramatic techniques utilized, their evolution, their development and possibilities for the future of each play. A variety of dramatic techniques including magical realism, stage realism, and performance ethnography informs the narrative structure of each play. The purpose of these plays is to aid in the understanding of alcoholism and recovery.