Bring a Story to tell,
or simply watch one unfold!
What is Playback Theatre?
Playback Theatre is an original form of improvisational theatre in which audience members tell stories from their lives, and watch them enacted on the spot by a company of trained actors and musicians. In Playback Theatre performances, a Conductor awakens a range of perspectives and ideas offered by audience members. The performing ensemble then brings the audience’s stories to life in a way that is honoring, illuminating, and transformative. Sometimes a story becomes a myth, sometimes a realistic enactment; some stories are tragic, others are funny or illuminating. Playback Theatre affirms the importance and dignity of personal experience, enables people to view their lives in new ways, and draws people closer as they see their common humanity.
Who is The Living Arts Playback Theatre Ensemble?
The Living Arts Playback Theatre Ensemble produces performances, workshops and events for personal, professional, and organizational growth. Created in 1989 under the direction of psychotherapist and drama therapist Armand Volkas, The Living Arts Playback Theatre Ensemble, in collaboration with The Healing the Wounds of History Project, has received international recognition for its work in bringing groups in conflict together, such as Germans and Jews; Palestinians and Israelis; Japanese, Chinese and Koreans on their legacy of WWII, and Armenians and Turks.
At the heart of its work is a profound respect for the power of personal story to build bridges between people and cultures. The Living Arts Playback Theatre Ensemble is a member of the International Playback Theatre Network, Playback North America, Theatre Bay Area, and performs for corporations, schools, hospitals, community celebrations, conferences, and for the general public. Visit www.livingartsplayback.org to learn more.
