https://www.imaginationworkshop.org/home daily 1.0 2025-06-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aeb7fbedd7ce4ba57d678d/1622064031669-SULX1B3VLU21ICWPSXJU/enhance8.jpg Home - About Imagination Workshop Imagination Workshop, located at the Jane & Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA, is a world-renowned dramatic arts program in which veterans, psychiatric patients, at-risk youth and other disenfranchised individuals engage in a series of workshops culminating in writing, directing and acting in plays under the guidance of specially trained theatre artists with the result of experiencing positive, lasting behavioral changes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aeb7fbedd7ce4ba57d678d/1622064113381-I76SYT2BUHASVFU4B0T4/enhance5.jpg Home - Theatre IW’s unique and effective use of theater and poetry to reach those long considered beyond the hope of traditional treatment has produced striking and encouraging results. Research conducted by the Semel Institute indicated that those patients who participated in IW (as opposed to traditional role-playing exercises) showed a “significantly greater” change. between pre- and post-test Global Assessments, with a higher improvement score. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aeb7fbedd7ce4ba57d678d/1622064806468-SFUJACJ5IU8GMKD080HA/enhance7.jpg Home - Writing In a recent study, Dr. Lynn Fairbanks demonstrated that patients who participated in the Imagination Workshop treatment had an average improvement of 38% in their social, occupational and psychological functioning, while patients in the traditional role play groups had a 22% improvement. (see figure to the left) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aeb7fbedd7ce4ba57d678d/1622064829533-MY0E68NLZDSKN0SRYBNN/enhance4.jpg Home - Therapeutic Benefits Dr. Fairbanks concluded that Imagination Workshop is "a valuable program with demonstrated therapeutic benefits for patients with serious psychiatric disorders." https://www.imaginationworkshop.org/about daily 0.75 2022-02-17 https://www.imaginationworkshop.org/our-team daily 0.75 2022-02-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aeb7fbedd7ce4ba57d678d/1622065959324-1UXIQ60AKGSD2V86OSRS/marget.jpg Our Team - Margaret Ladd (Creator and Co-Founder) Ms. Ladd was first moved to create the Imagination Workshop when she and internationally acclaimed playwright Eugene Ionesco happened to attend a play performed by patients in a mental hospital. They witnessed, first-hand, the patients’ remarkable onstage transformation from withdrawn and disengaged to vibrant and charming. Ionesco called it, “creating from the place where dreams come from.” Ladd instantly realized what an inspirational gift such performances could be to the professional theater community, as well as what an effective tool the world of theater could offer to those with mental health challenges. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aeb7fbedd7ce4ba57d678d/1622065820096-GLZDOAJHLA71UTFB2IGO/Lyle%2BKessler%2Bphoto.jpg Our Team - Lyle Kessler (Co-Founder) Tobias Keene, D.D.S. Hailing from Richmond, Virginia, Dr. Tobias Keene brings a bit of unabashed Southern hospitality to all his patients. He moved to Washington, D.C. over thirty years ago as a freshman at Ivy College. Right after graduation, he attended World University’s School of Dentistry. Before opening Keene Dental in 1994, he worked for free clinics and some of the finest practices in the District. He is part of the 123 Dental Association and stays up-to-date on the latest dental discoveries. When not striving to keep his patients happy and healthy, he’s enjoys hiking with his family in Rock Creek Park. https://www.imaginationworkshop.org/programs daily 0.75 2021-05-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aeb7fbedd7ce4ba57d678d/1622067210402-30FTPPU3RPJSZFHJQQC4/enhance8.jpg Programs https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aeb7fbedd7ce4ba57d678d/1622067255356-T5QEAXC64LU8C2D03ZL1/IMG_12561.jpg Programs https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aeb7fbedd7ce4ba57d678d/1622067308577-MYABVPF0K102G3PCAX5X/IMG_0053.JPG Programs https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aeb7fbedd7ce4ba57d678d/1622067338193-WUBDD6XN6T3COF3KFSW0/shadowcastercircle.jpg Programs https://www.imaginationworkshop.org/our-research daily 0.75 2024-07-13 https://www.imaginationworkshop.org/videos daily 0.75 2021-06-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aeb7fbedd7ce4ba57d678d/1622069065159-IOFH9B0ABE5KSNOT4PTU/shadowCaster.jpg Videos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aeb7fbedd7ce4ba57d678d/1622069242723-I444Z02Z2T3AEKY7AOM3/Wanderingknight.jpg Videos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aeb7fbedd7ce4ba57d678d/1622069294188-ZNK1XQLJVONFRMREMH3U/Traintime.jpg Videos https://www.imaginationworkshop.org/upcoming-events daily 0.75 2022-06-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/60aeb7fbedd7ce4ba57d678d/16182e75-36fa-453b-bac4-fa502e3edc90/GumboMagicFinal+11copy.jpg Upcoming Events https://www.imaginationworkshop.org/donate daily 0.75 2023-12-08 https://www.imaginationworkshop.org/general-2 daily 0.75 2022-03-08