Moreno Institute, NYC

[HV Psychodrama]

Dear Marcia,
It is such a delight to hear your memories. I just want you to know that the 
stage is still in good shape and being taken care of at Boughton Place, in 
Highland, NY about a half an hour from Beacon. The theater was going to be 
burnt down by the fire department to use as a training for firefighters and 
Zerka had this brilliant idea to save the actual stage. She suggested to 
Clare Danielsson to have the stage moved to Boughton Place and it was done 
in the late 1980's. If you are ever in the states and want to direct an open 
session there, just get in touch with me. We would be honored to have you.
With affection and respect,
Rebecca Walters
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <mkarp11444 at aol.com>
To: <list at grouptalkweb.org>
Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2008 11:32 AM
Subject: Moreno Institute, NYC


Dear Grouptalkers,   Just for the record, at the Moreno Institute, 78th and 
Broadway, NYC public sessions. People paid 3 dollars admission fee. The 
session was from 8 to 10:30 or 11 p.m. Sunday night was a trained 
psychodramatist and Broadway actor, Walter Klavun. Monday night was a 
Christian Brother, Joe Power.Tuesday night was me, in my final training and 
after qualifying for the Directorship. Wednesday night I think was Social 
worker and Musician and teacher, Robert Siroka, a single man then and 
finishing his psychodrama training and teaching at Hunter College I think. 
Thursday night was Hannah Weiner, very intuitive, creative  and visceral. 
Moreno encouraged her to get her masters degree, which she did. Friday 
night, the biggest crowd usually and Saturday night was J. L. And Zerka 
Moreno Saturday night was Akron, Ohio, psychologist and President of the New 
York Psychological Society, Jim Sacks. He was trained along with Mike 
Nichols and Elaine May both improvisational comedians,  Mike Nichols went on 
to direct Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolff? The film with Eizabeth Taylor and 
Richard Burton and went on to direct many others and is still working, I 
think. They all trained in chicago with Theatre Games inventor Viola Spolin. 
Comedian Shelly Berman and famous actor Alan arkin were training along with 
Jim. That is where Jim learned theatre games for warm ups which has 
influenced people in their warm up work around the world. Jim always drew a 
big crowd too and we had lots of fun. Moreno didn't use any theatre games, 
per se. He used to warm up the audience by talkingn asking questions, having 
a discussion together with the audience and sometimes had us do" bonding"( 
my word, not his. He didn't use such a jargon-type word.)  exercises,.where 
the audience of strangers could get to know each other a little bit and not 
feel so alone.. In my day, Dr. Usually introduced Zerka to the group, saying 
they were like Adam and Eve. He, sometimes warmed up the audience and she 
would direct the session. He would usually go to his office then and read 
the newspaper or talk to his brother, William in person or by phone. We 
would all drive back together to the training Academy in a small New York 
town called Beacon, Dutchess County, N.Y. One and half hours from New York 
City. In the Moreno's car. Zerka drove. Dr. Sat in the front seat and 
usually slept. Sometimes we would all talk about the session on the way 
back. We would get back late on Friday night, go to our beds in the student 
residence on many acres of land by the Hudson River and return to the 
Psycodrama Theatre, which was dedicated to actor Franchot Tone's mother , 
who was a benefactor and former patient. Zerka would train us all day in the 
theatre , each taking turns directing by the choice of the protagonist and 
we would gather at night in the Morenos' living room with Zerka and Dr. To 
review the day. He was very interested in all of our impressions of the 
director, the auxiliary, the protag.the group and of course the session. We 
would tell him all about it from many view points, depending on who played 
what role, psychodramtically, personally, professioanally or whatever.We 
would talk, Dr. Would ask questons of us with genine interestas if we were 
participating in a grand experiment.  Moreno would lecture or tell an 
anecdote or an experience.he was very funny when telling stories and never 
failed to make us laugh. He wanted to be remembered as " The man who brought 
joy and laughter into psychiatry." It says just that on his urn in Austria. 
At the time I am writing about, moreno was in his early 70's and liked to 
have a glass of orange juice in the evening.. Zerka was largely silent in 
these evenings with Dr. And she would do her sewing one handed, which always 
impressed me. When he gave us exams,which were questions put to us and 
answered in the group in the living roomn they went something like this: 
"What is an auxiliary ego ?" He might ask one of us such a question.. We 
would begin to answer and relievingly, he would take it over and give us 
half hour lecture on auxiliary ego. Somehow, because you were spared being 
put on the spot and in the spotlight, it was such relief to hear him talk 
that you could listen with new ears. Some nights we would have off and all 
go together with our tweachers, to the local cinema, if something good was 
playing. Zerka and Dr. Used to hold hands in the movies. I liked that. Once 
we went with their son, Jonathan to a fireworks display in the park. We sat 
on blankets and enjoyed the display together and then we would all go out to 
Angelo's Pizza place in Beacon, which we used to call the Annex because we 
were all there so often. Moreno liked pizza and liked to go with us. Once, 
the first time I came to the  New York training,, Zerka and Dr. Took me and 
some others to the Russian Tea Room in New York City . The ballet dancers, 
Neureyev and Fontaine use to hang out there. It was very expensive and very 
delicious with lots of crepes, bilinis, caviar and sour cream with good tea. 
The waiters all knew him and loved him. He had been on a nation wide L.A. 
T.V show, an interview with Michael Putterman. Putterman was known for his 
ascerbic comments and putting the interviewee on the spot. People across the 
nation usee to watch the cock fight between interviewer and interviewee. 
Moreno knew just how to handle him, and very subtlley and gently put him in 
his place. The waiters had all seen the programme and felt triumphant that 
"our Dr." Handled Putterman so deftly. He was a hero that night. We drove, 
late at night to Beacon and all night long my stomach was upset from the 
rich food. All I coiuld see in my mind's eye, was lashes of sour cream and 
caviar until I felt sick and dizzy. I had to stay in bed and missed the very 
first training session though I so wanted to be there. It was partly all the 
excitement of finally getting there, meeting the Morenos and eating such 
rich food so late in the night. I was just 23 and not used to any of it . I 
paid the price. The night seemed interminable with all that cream swimming 
around in my head and stomach. Very often, Moreno used to make up words to 
describe things. For an example, in the public session, he would go off the 
stage, into the audience and he would meet people, shake hands with them to 
get a somatic assessment of their warm up to him and the event. He would 
look someone in the eyes, and ask,"Are you single, married or mingled?" 
Mingled, in his mind, meant living together or some combination of the other 
two words. I always enjoyed his ability and courage to make up a word that 
suited just  what he meant. Like astronaut and cosmonaut. He made friends 
easily this way. Taxi drivers liked him too. He used to say if you ever want 
to know anything about NYC, politics, diections, reccommendations, social 
information, current events, everything, just ask a taxi driver. He thought 
that they have the closest finger on the pulse of the society.  Enough for 
now. . I have enjoyed telling you these memories of 40 years ago. They were 
wonderful times and I feel priviledged to be exposed to two truly 
extraordinary people. Marcia Karp
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