There’s Such a Thing as Too Much Drama

Man sitting at kitchen table across from a woman, both in bathrobes. He is gesturing in frustration and she is listening with an expression of exasperation.
Fine Arts Building Room 115
Conflict Management and Relationship Building Workshop
Anyone who has worked with humans has experienced – and sometimes feared – conflict, but not all drama is bad! Theatre skills combined with conflict management techniques can help us manage difficult situations. With active listening, improv tools, roleplay, and rehearsal, we can build better working relationships to prevent a lot of the negative drama or deescalate a fraught situation before things explode.
 
Through discussion and a few volunteers from the audience for roleplaying/improv, participants are invited to get curious and ask questions. They’ll learn conversation and problem-solving tools they can immediately put into practice whether or not they ever set foot on a stage:

Emotion management and de-escalation

Communication and listening tools  

Common agreements and structure for challenging conversations

Sponsored by the Theatre and Film Leadership Forum , this is open to any student of any major who would like to learn about handling conflict and difficult conversations. Faculty/staff are also welcome. This workshop will next be offered at the Southeastern Theatre Conference 2026 Convention in March, so this event is its "final dress rehearsal."

 

Led by Dina Canup, Academic Advisor II in UGA’s Department of Theatre and Film and Affiliate Academic Coach with the Office of Student Success and Achievement. In addition to her work in advising, recruitment, and outreach, she is the hub of resources and support for all students in the department with an additional focus on facilitating positive communication, conflict resolution, and problem-solving steps. She has completed training in Reflective Structured Dialogue, Mindful Conflict Management, Inside Track Academic Coaching, and Mental Health First Aid. 


 

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UGA Department of Theatre & Film
Academic Advisor II, Student Support and Outreach Coordinator
dinac@uga.edu