Playback Theatre Reflects
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Playback Theatre Reflects is an independent blog for writing on Playback Theatre. The blog is curated by Jo Salas, co-founder of Playback Theatre and author of Improvising Real Life: Personal Story in Playback Theatre.
Playback Theatre Reflects
2M ago
This short article is adapted from my remarks at a panel discussion held at the Playback Theatre conference in South Africa in December 2023. The panel followed a workshop on this topic that I led earlier in the year. I’ve decided to expand and publish my remarks here since these issues remain pressing in our community.
The Tension Between Inclusiveness and Social Justice in Playback Theatre
In the past few years I’ve witnessed and have sometimes been involved in situations in our Playback community where our foundational principle of inclusiveness has seemed to be in conflict with our c ..read more
Playback Theatre Reflects
10M ago
This article offers an important reflection on Playback Theatre in a world where authoritarian intolerance is becoming common, threatening to silence the stories of ordinary citizens. Larry Ng’s insights are both inspiring and pragmatic. The techniques and ethical principles he describes potentially allow us not only to continue sharing Playback Theatre in situations of political repression but also to navigate unsafe conditions that may arise anywhere.
Being a Fully Ethical Conductor When It is NOT Safe to Share
Being a conductor in Playback Theatre is enjoyable and meaningful, especial ..read more
Playback Theatre Reflects
1y ago
Here is the third and final part of participants’ commentaries following the one-year Better Together project. Part One and Part Two were published on Playback Theatre Reflects previously.
During the project, eleven Playback practitioners from eleven countries met online twice a month for a year. Each person then wrote about what happened in this extraordinary experience, from their individual point of view. The participants’ statements and articles provide a fascinating composite portrait of a sustained experiment that was clearly profound for all concerned–with implicatio ..read more
Playback Theatre Reflects
1y ago
Here is Part Two of participants’ commentaries following the one-year, recently completed Better Together project. Part One was published on Playback Theatre Reflects two weeks ago. The third and final part will appear later in February.
During the project, eleven Playback practitioners from eleven countries met online twice a month for a year. Each person then wrote about what happened in this extraordinary experience, from their individual point of view. The participants’ statements and articles (including two that were co-authored) provide a fascinating composite portrait of a sustained exp ..read more
Playback Theatre Reflects
1y ago
During the recently completed Better Together project, eleven Playback practitioners from eleven countries met online twice a month for a year. Each person then wrote about what happened in this extraordinary experience, from their individual point of view. The participants’ statements and articles (including two that were co-authored) provide a fascinating composite portrait of a sustained experiment that was clearly profound for all concerned–with implications that go beyond those who were directly involved.
The writing has been lightly edited for clarity, first by Emily Conolan and then mys ..read more
Playback Theatre Reflects
1y ago
In this excerpt from her recent doctoral thesis, Kathy Barolsky investigates the Playback Theatre term “citizen actor”, which leads her to the concept of social artistry, “an attunement to socially just ways of being.” In addition to the thesis, Kathy has published extensively about Playback Theatre and social justice, informed by her company Drama for Life Playback Theatre’s work in the complicated context of post-apartheid South Africa.
Acknowledging the importance of the citizen actor and social artistry in Playback Theatre Excerpted and adapted from Playback Theatre: Intra-acting with stor ..read more
Playback Theatre Reflects
1y ago
Jonathan Fox and Jo Salas
This post is a short excerpt from the new book Personal Stories in Public Spaces: Essays on Playback Theatre by Its Founders, co-authored by Jonathan Fox and myself. The book brings together previously published work as well as essays written for this volume. The excerpt below is from the co-written opening chapter, A Changing Landscape.
Playback Theatre and Social Change By Jonathan Fox and Jo Salas
As a theatre movement, Playback has developed a strong though not universal focus on social change. What were the steps in this evolution?
As young adults we were firmly ..read more
Playback Theatre Reflects
1y ago
Using Playback in a fraught sociopolitical context compels practitioners to navigate choices that are both moral and dramaturgical. Norbert Ross’s article illuminates the heart of this challenge in a very current situation: the abuse of power by border agents in the US.
The Spirit of the Order: Playback Theatre Against the Normalization of Evil by Norbert Ross, Ph.D.
What might have gone on in the heads of the immigration officials when they told Sofia[1], one of our narrators from Venezuela, that her 18-year-old son had been deported to Mexico? She and her two sons had crossed the bord ..read more
Playback Theatre Reflects
1y ago
In December 2019—just days after the international Playback Theatre conference in Bangalore–the Indian parliament abruptly and controversially passed a law denying citizenship for Muslim immigrants while fast-tracking it for members of other religions. Widespread protests followed. The authors compellingly describe how Playback Theatre played a role in protests by Muslim women in Bangalore. Their article presents a very current example of how Playback can contribute to a social justice cause when performances emerge organically out of political solidarity, adapting the form to the needs of the ..read more
Playback Theatre Reflects
1y ago
Marie-Louise Larsson and Andrea Berge
First written as an essay for the Playback Theatre Leadership course, this article reports on the authors’ research on the role of translation in the worldwide development of Playback Theatre. Based on responses from 24 Playback practitioners representing 17 languages, the authors address topics such as the importance of practitioners being able to learn from texts in their own languages, and the intriguing variations in how PT terms have been translated and adapted.
Translation as a way to expand the Playback Theatre community By Andrea Berge and Marie-Lo ..read more