The Workshop Team

Abstract

A role-play workshop is a relatively complex performance which requires the facilitator or facilitation team to carry out a number of varied tasks. Effectively, the team is being asked to play a number of distinct roles, namely, those of facilitator, organizer, front of house, specialist co-facilitator (optional), and observer. The actor is also a member of the team, but it is not practically possible or desirable for a facilitator to play that role as well. Each of these roles is characterized by a distinctive rhythm, pace, and mental focus. This chapter considers the differing challenges of each of these roles, and what is needed if one person is required to fill more than one role. A separate chapter covers the special case of the actor.

A role-play workshop is a relatively complex performance which requires the facilitator or facilitation team to carry out a number of varied tasks. Effectively, the team is being asked to play a number of roles. Each of these roles is characterized by a distinctive rhythm, pace, and mental focus. In this chapter, we consider the differing challenges of organization, front of house, facilitation, specialist co-facilitation, and observation, and what is needed if one person is required to fill more than one role. The actor is also a member of the team, but it is not practically possible or desirable for you to play that role as well as facilitate. A separate chapter covers the special case of the actor.