In 1968, the groundbreaking documentary Journey into Self revealed eight strangers as they underwent therapy in an attempt to “to discover the secret of being together,” during a time of civil unrest and American consciousness raising. Nearly four decades later, L.A.’s celebrated theater ensemble Poor Dog Group confronts Group Therapy, a new work of documentary theater that mirrors that film’s voyeuristic lens and delves into 16 hours of the Group’s actual transcribed therapy with a licensed professional.
After more than a decade of creating theater together, the members of Poor Dog Group amplify their self-interrogation into an uncensored—sometimes funny, sometimes poignant—work of live art. Founded by CalArts alumni, the company return campus for a multi-week technical residency to complete Group Therapy. The production will have its world premiere in January 2018 at UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance.
Group Therapy is being developed at The Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA. Group Therapy has received additional residency support from The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Headlands Center for the Arts and was further developed at the CalArts Center for New Performance. Group Therapy is produced in partnership with and managed by Los Angeles Performance Practice. Group Therapy is a project of Creative Capital.