Objective: This study aims to explore the characteristics and functions of educational theater in conveying health and hygiene messages, as perceived by professors and experts in the fields of communication and theater.
Method: A qualitative research design was employed, utilizing thematic analysis as the analytical technique. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 experts specializing in health communication and educational theater to address the research questions.
Results: The findings reveal that for health messages delivered through theatrical media to be effective, they must be “aligned with the audience’s interests,” “clear, simple, and comprehensible,” and capable of “conveying a sense of self-efficacy to the audience.”
Conclusions: The majority of respondents identified theater as an appropriate medium for health education and promotion. Although this potential has not been adequately recognized or utilized in Iran thus far, numerous capacities remain to be developed in this area. The experts participating in this study acknowledged that for educational theater to be active, democratized, and interactive, it must first undergo a transformation in its communication model. In practice, this involves dissolving the artificial boundary between performers and spectators, thereby transforming all participants into "spect-actors." By democratizing the stage, theater can foster a culture of dialogue both horizontally among individuals and vertically between the public and authorities. This form of theater should enable the actor to first cultivate internal dialogue and subsequently engage in dialogue with others. In this context, educational theater provides a platform for children, adolescents, and young adults to acquire fundamental life skills and expand their knowledge through role-playing or interaction with performers.
The experts further acknowledged that educational theater creates a space in which abilities are actualized and nurtured; latent potential becomes manifest. Individuals are afforded the opportunity to explore, discover, and understand themselves, thereby acquiring new dimensions of identity. Within this framework, the learner becomes the central subject of the educational process, and emancipatory education is grounded in reciprocal, dialogue-centered relationships. This represents an educational paradigm that prioritizes participation and empathy over control and competition.
The researchers also identified "edutainment" as a significant domain within health communication. Educational theater can be regarded as one of the most effective approaches to learning through entertainment and can be strategically employed in educational interventions. The use of theater in public spaces can substantially enhance public engagement. Education through entertainment, when tailored to the specific needs of diverse groups—including rural and urban populations, housewives, and others—can effectively support the objectives of health communication. Additionally, the concept of theater therapy was emphasized by the experts. Drama therapy involves a set of techniques that, through theatrical improvisation, cultivate and expand latent or suppressed talents and capacities related to mental life and emotional imagination. In therapeutic theater, not only are lived realities represented, but phenomena that have never occurred—or may never be possible—are also explored. Theater therapy can serve as an innovative tool for health and wellness education.
Ultimately, health education plays a pivotal role in fostering community participation in health promotion, achieved through the dissemination of existing knowledge regarding health and illness. Nevertheless, health education initiatives that adopt a top-down pedagogical model and rely on a purely biomedical understanding of health have often failed to genuinely encourage social engagement. In contrast, participatory approaches enhance individuals’ self-reliance and autonomy and are increasingly employed in contemporary health education and communication strategies to promote public health.