Group Members

Asheville Playback Theatre

Asheville Playback Theatre

Contact

Raphael Peter

Asheville, NC

Phone: (828) 670-5881

eMail raphaelpeter@buncombe.main.nc.us

Asheville Playback Theatre was founded in 1995, and performs regularly both for the general public and for special groups, working in prisons, with recipients of mental health services, with at-risk teens, etc. For our 2008-2009 season, we are presenting 9 public performances. Three of the performances comprise our "Community Concerns" series, highlighting issues of interest to local residents. APT is also the organizing group for the annual global playback event - follow the link (above) to our website for more information.

Bay Area Playback Theatrer

Contact

Sylvia Israel

1924 Fourth Street, San Rafael, CA 94901

Phone: Mary Dubova: 415-499-8528

eMail info@bayareaplayback.com

We have performed for many non-profit agencies and under-served populations. We have had 3 public performances, and are hoping to offer these more regularly - once every month or two.

Big Apple Playback Theatre

Big Apple

Contact

Hannah Fox

580 Sixth Ave. #4, Pelham, NY 10803

Phone: 914-576-8284 or 914-633-7361

eMail info@bigappleplayback.com

Big Apple Playback Theatre is a multi-cultural professional performance team dedicated to serving disenfranchised populations in the New York City metropolitan area.

Community Playback Theatre

Contact

Judy Swallow

New Paltz, NY

Phone: 845-255-5613 Fax: 845-255-3272

eMail judyswallow@verizon.net

Community Playback Theatre has performed monthly in our permanent home on the original Moreno Stage for over 20 years. Aside from contract performances for agencies and groups, these community gatherings encourage audience members to return and share stories of their lives as they evolve, as well as attend our monthly open rehearsals (jams) and even act in the "audience up" segment of our performance. We welcome visitors whenever you are passing through or studying at the playback school. We relish being part of the playback community.

As a multicultural company we use Playback Theatre as a tool for community building, education and social change. We provide affordable performances for the public and those who lack resources. We strive to be a community resource and share our artistic skills. We strive to empower communities and individuals by providing a forum for stories to be shared, heard and honored. We will maintain a high level of artistic quality and integrity.

Emerald Valley Playback Theater

Emerald Valley

Contact

Allen Hancock

2244 Alder St., Eugene, OR 97405

Phone: 541-343-1926

eMail impact@efn.org

Emerald Valley Playback Theatre is dedicated to joyfully serving our community through inspiring improvisational theater. Drawing on our skills of empathy and art, we tap into the magic and mystery of personal stories. Contact us about performing for your group or event.

Heartsparkle Players

Heartsparkle

Contact

Debe Edden

Olympia, WA

Phone: 360 943 6772

eMail debek@olywa.net

As a multicultural company we use Playback Theatre as a tool for community building, education and social change. We provide affordable performances for the public and those who lack resources. We strive to be a community resource and share our artistic skills. We strive to empower communities and individuals by providing a forum for stories to be shared, heard and honored. We will maintain a high level of artistic quality and integrity.

Hudson River Playback Theatre

Hudson River

Contact

Jo Salas

137 Hasbrouck Road, New Paltz, NY 12561

Phone: 845 255 7716

eMail info@hudsonriverplayback.org

The mission of Hudson River Playback Theatre is to honor and illuminate the lives of individuals and communities by using improvisational theatre, music, and movement to enact their personal stories. Together with our audiences, we bear witness to differences among people as well as to the universality of human experience, thereby furthering communication, social awareness, and our inherent connection.

Living Arts Playback Theatre Ensemble

Living Arts Playback Theatre Ensemble

Contact

Armand Volkas / Christine Kalb

4000 Broadway, Suite 4, Oakland, CA 94611

Phone: 510-527-5577

eMail avolkas@aol.com

The Living Arts Playback Theatre Ensemble is a non-profit group that produces performances, workshops, and events for personal, professional, and organizational growth. Created under the direction of Armand Volkas, RDT, the company has established itself as a local and national resource for transformation, performing for schools, hospitals, community celebrations, professional conferences, jails, corporations and for the general public. The Living Arts Playback Theatre Ensemble is approaching its 20th anniversary.

Maryland Playback Ensemble

Contact

Ron Miller

138 West Church Street, Frederick, MD 21701

eMail ronandcarol@verizon.net

The Maryland Playback Ensemble is a community-based playback theatre company founded in 2006. The company of seven includes teachers, mental health professionals, professors and alumni of the Theatre Arts department of McDaniel College. The Maryland Playback Ensemble is associated with Common Ground on the Hill, an arts organization sponsoring traditional performing and fine arts with a commitment to diversity and social justice. Playback theatre performances are featured every summer at its festival in Westminster, Maryland. The Ensemble is also allied with the Maryland Ensemble Theatre in Frederick, which hosts public performances in October, January and May. The company is loosely associated with McDaniel Playback, a company formed by student graduates of the course in playback theatre taught in the focus area in interactive theatre in McDaniel College Department of Theatre Arts. Several of the company members are graduates of this company, or are faculty associated with the program in interactive theatre. MPE contracts for private performances at schools, colleges, universities, community agencies, professional organizations and mental health facilities. We seek audiences who share stories in playback theatre in order to connect with others, known and unknown. These offerings are reflected by human bodies, voices and spirits in a safe, significant and entertaining way. We are committed to creating and strengthening communities through the theatrical affirmation of our individual and collective stories.

Open Door Playback Theater

Open Door Playback Theater

Contact

Lisa Vana

Vernon, Texas

Phone: +001 940 642 5364 – eMail: info@opendoorplayback.com

In September 2006, Open Door Playback was created by staff members of the BMTP unit of North Texas State Hospital, an adult psychiatric facility in Vernon, Texas. Our aim was to be in service of the residents of our unit, and we chose the name "Open Door Playback" because of the maximum security status of our facility, where all doors are locked and all treatment takes place behind a 16 foot high fence. Through this art form, people have been able to see a clearer picture of what life for them "beyond the fence" might look like. This is important because we believe that being able to see our goals brings us one step closer to achieving them. Over time, our group evolved and began to perform at venues in the community as well as "behind the fence." We are now witnessing the power of playback not only within our hospital walls but also in our community at large.

Pacific Playback Theatre

Pacific Playback Theatre

Contact

Nan Crawford

4104 24th St. #777, San Francisco, CA 94114

Phone: 415-282-8558

eMail nan@pacificplayback.com

Pacific Playback Theatre performs for organizations and events, helping our audiences honor diverse perspectives and discover common ground.

Pentimento Playback Theatre

Pentimento Playback Theatre

Contact

John Stevenson

Nassau, NY

eMail ithacan@earthlink.net

Pentimento Playback Theatre has been performing since June 1992.

Pittsburgh Playback Theatre

Contact

Roni Ostfield

2770 Fernwald Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15217

Phone: (412)521-0444

eMail ronidolphin@aol.com

Pittsburgh Playback Theatre (PPT) is all about connecting. We connect with people and their stories. It is through playback theatre that barriers fall - barriers between people and barriers within people. Every person has stories to tell, and every story deserves hearing. We believe that by empowering people to share and listen we are helping our community connect on a deeper level. Many people have specific stories, such as surviving genocides or war, personal traumas or subjugations, traumatic visits at the dentist or visits from the mother-in-law. Others have universal stories, such as losing a child or livelihood, or finding love where least expected. Some stories are big and others seem small. Being people, we all share the universal ability to listen, empathize, and relate to each other. We use playback to remind people of that ability. The gift of listening stays with our audiences long after the stories are forgotten.

Playback for Change

Contact

Sarah Halley, Pamela Freeman

Philadelphia, PA

Phone: 215-844-7566

eMail pfree12334@aol.com, sarahhalley@gmail.com

Playback For Change, located in Philadelphia, PA, is a multi-racial improvisational theatre company dedicated to using Playback Theatre as a vehicle for social change. Our mission is to provide performances and workshops for communities, schools, non-profits and organizations, using Playback Theatre to help individuals and groups gain insight, understanding, and skills to create more just and inclusive communities.

Playback NYC

Playback NYC

Contact

Paul McIsaac

New York, NY

eMail paulmcisaac@rcn.com

Playback NYC uses music, dance, FreeStyle Hip Hop and improvisational theater to transform the stories of our audience into the art of theater.

Playback Rhode Island

Playback Rhode Island

Contact

Juliette Zaiser

Providence, RI

eMail zaiser@writeme.com

Playback Rhode Island was formed in 2004 by 3 women, all registered drama therapists (RDTs). Since then, membership has included social workers, therapists, teachers and impressionists. Only recently has the group become gender diverse! The current troupe’s players hail from CT, MA as well as RI. The group usually performs and rehearses in the Providence area.

Playback Theatre of Buffalo

Contact

Anna Kay France

Buffalo, NY

Phone: 716 882 9252

eMail france@buffalo.edu

Playback Wisconsin !

Contact

Sara R. Cutler

5113 Stonehaven Drive, Madison, WI 53716

Phone: 608-224-0646

eMail sarajose@earthlink.net

Wisconsin's first playback theatre company, Playback Wisconsin, rehearses 2-3 times per month. We believe that by sharing our human stories we seek to find our differences and commonalities. We Acknowledge that both make our lives richer and create understanding. We perform for a variety of organizations throughout Wisconsin including: schools, churches, community groups, libraries, youth organizations and families. We come together to rehearse to share in our own connections and we believe by listening to one another we build a larger sense of community.

Portland Playback Theatre

Portland Playback Theatre

Contact

David La Graffe

Portland, Maine

eMail dlagraf1@maine.rr.com

Portland Playback Theatre Company was founded in Portland, Maine in 2005. The Playback Theatre style models transformation; a new way to relate to the world. When trained playback practitioners enact a story told by a member of the audience, a deep bond of understanding is established between the “teller” and the audience.

Playback helps people see their common humanity. When people join together in sharing their stories and watching the re-enactments, it engenders an ability to focus on commonalities rather than judgments of otherness.

Reflections of Shands Hospital

Contact

Paula Patterson

Gainesville, FL

Phone: 352 336 6485

eMail swampmail@aol.com

The Shands Reflections have been working with hospitalized patients, their families and the staff of The Shands Hospital at the University of Florida.

River's Edge Playback Theatre

Contact

Claire Decoster

PO Box 6196, Minneapolis, MN 55104

Phone: 651-917-1976

eMail cpdecoster@hotmail.com

River's Edge is located in Minnesota, a Midwestern state where the Mississippi river begins. It is full of lakes, with snowy winters and clearly defined seasons. River’s Edge was founded in 2000. We were an ensemble that followed the usual model of Playback companies. Today we are a small consulting group of three individuals that devote our time to sharing Playback with as many communities as possible. We hold Playback Trainings periodically by local and guest trainers. We are starting to do Community Workshops with groups who request to use the form in their community or organization.

Synergy in Action

Contact

Kimberly Rattley

1900 Lyttonsville Road, Suite 1118, Silver Spring, MD 20910

Phone: 301-585-0906 Fax: 202-379-9833

eMail kimberly@csynergysolutions.com

Synergy in Action is a playback theatre company located in Washington, DC. We are a diverse group of artists committed to building healthy communities one story at a time. Visit us on youtube.com (enter "Synergy in Action")

Threshold Ensemble

Threshold Ensemble

Contact

James Lucal

Seattle, WA

Phone: 206-227-3129

eMail lucalj@comcast.net

Threshold Ensemble is a group of performing artists committed to enacting personal story in the service of community and organizational needs.

True Story Theater

True Story

Contact

Christopher Ellinger

Arlington, MA

Phone: 781 646 1705

eMail christopher@truestorytheater.org

The mission of True Story Theater is to promote community development and social healing by listening deeply to people's stories and transforming them spontaneously into theatre. True Story Theater offers audiences fresh perspectives, deeper connections, and a renewed appreciation for our common humanity. Our events create a respectful atmosphere where every voice can be heard and any story told - however ordinary or extraordinary, difficult or joyful.

Village Playback Theatre

Contact

Randy Mulder

Yonkers, New York

Phone: 914-912-5515

eMail villageplaybacktheatre@verizon.net

Village Playback Theatre strives to elicit and enact the stories of individuals and groups who are often underserved and socially underrepresented to build community throughout metro New York. VPT is comprised of professional actors, musicians, and healthcare practitioners. We provide performances, workshops, and training in the private and public sector, for communities and at professional conferences throughout the Northeast.