A Portuguese theater production, titled Oxímoro, entre Solstícios e Equinócios (Oxymoron, Between Solstices and Equinoxes), aims to reduce the stigma surrounding bipolar disorder through a unique blend of art and science. The play, created by the theater company Marionet, ran from March 20 to 24, 2024, at the BlackBox of Convento São Francisco in Coimbra and involved extensive collaboration with medical professionals and patients.
The play’s connection to a broader cultural discourse on mental health is underscored by a short promotional video that addresses common misconceptions about mood disorders. The video highlights how societal jokes about mood swings can trivialize serious conditions like bipolar disorder, which has complex biological underpinnings.
The project was developed with input from various stakeholders, including researchers from the Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology at the Universidade de Coimbra and health practitioners from the Integrated Psychiatry Responsibility Center of the Coimbra Hospital and University Center. According to Mário Montenegro, a key figure in the Marionet team, the scientific component informed their creative process right from the scriptwriting phase.
Montenegro emphasized the importance of gathering firsthand experiences, stating, “We realized we needed to be even better informed. So we based our work on interviews with patients, doctors, nurses, and relatives.” This approach allowed the team to create a script composed of various scenes, featuring different characters and situations, rather than relying on a single narrative.
The play’s performances attracted approximately 300 attendees, with 54 audience members participating in post-show questionnaires. The feedback revealed that the emotional engagement stimulated by the performance facilitated a deeper understanding of bipolar disorder. The analysis highlighted that empathy and personal identification enabled audiences to assimilate scientific concepts more effectively, ultimately aiding in the reduction of stigma associated with mental illness.
Montenegro noted, “It was an emotionally very strong play. And the emotional engagement from the audience was very strong as well.” This underscores the potential for theater to serve as a powerful medium for science communication, particularly in the context of health.
The findings from this initiative have been documented in the Journal of Science Communication, under the title “Theatre and bipolar disorder: dealing with emotions.” Co-authors include Silvia Carballo and Francisca Moreira, who contributed to the study of how emotional responses can enhance understanding of complex scientific topics.
Luisa Massarani, a researcher at the Brazilian Institute of Public Communication of Science and Technology, praised the initiative as part of a growing global movement that recognizes the importance of emotional engagement in science communication. She remarked, “Despite their significant role, emotions are under-theorized and under-researched in science communication.”
The Marionet theater company, with its long-standing commitment to integrating scientific themes into its productions, exemplifies how the arts can play a critical role in addressing societal issues such as mental health. By presenting complex topics in an accessible manner, they invite audiences to engage with science and health issues on a personal level.
As the dialogue around mental health continues to evolve, initiatives like Oxímoro, entre Solstícios e Equinócios serve as vital platforms for fostering understanding and compassion. The hope is that through such creative endeavors, stigma can be diminished, and a more informed public can emerge, ultimately benefiting those affected by mental health conditions.
