​​​​The ARA       Research on Spirituality, Music, and Theatre

THE TRUE NAMES INITIATIVE 

The True Names Initiative is an interdisciplinary collaboration between therapists, theatre activists, and theologians devoted to “Theatre, Therapy, Theology, and Social Responsibility,” creating dialogue, conducting workshops, and presenting at conferences. Formerly called “Project Rainbow” at Ball State University, this project has mostly been on the back burner at UTPB, while Dr. Paul Spike Wilson, a freelance writer and doctor of theatre who uses acting to teach children with disabilities, has been heading this project in Indiana. We recently contributed a “He Said, She Said” performance piece to Project SAAFE, to create dialog and educate on sexual assault, and we recently conducted a dialogue session at the 2016 American Psychological Association Convention. One of the first publications of the ARA was from this line of research: a book chapter in The Couple and Family Therapist’s Notebook titled “Beginning Body Dialog: An Introduction to Physical Acting Techniques in Family Counseling.”