Podcasts about Playback Theatre

The San Diego, California-based Imagine Brave Spaces does just that—imagine brave spaces.  This performance activist organization, founded in 2021, uses play, performance, theatre, and other arts to help children, young people, and adults create spaces and engage in activities through which, in the words of Co-founder and Director of Programs Catherine Hanna Schrock, they can, “see what is not yet there, to picture the possibilities of what can be.”  In this in-depth interview conducted by Desire Wandan and Dan Friedman, she asks, “Isn't it a courageous thing to dream, to hope that things could get better?” and shares how Imagine Brave Spaces uses Forum Theatre, Playback Theatre, Interview Theatre, and creative community conversations to empower people to ask, “What if?” www.imaginebravespaces.com Instagram- @imaginebravespaces ----more---- Welcome to All Power to the Developing, a podcast of the East Side Institute. The Institute is a center for social change efforts that reinitiate human and community development. We support, connect, and partner with committed and creative activists, scholars, artists, helpers, and healers all over the world. In 2003, Institute co-founders Lois Holzman and the late Fred Newman had a paper published with the title “All Power to the Developing.” This phrase captures how vital it is for all people—no matter their age, circumstance, status, race, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation—to grow, develop and transform emotionally, socially and intellectually if we are to have a shot at creating something positive out of the intense crises we're all experiencing. We hope that this podcast series will show you that, far more than a slogan, “all power to the developing” is a loving activity, a pulsing heart in an all too cruel world. ----more---- The East Side Institute is a hub for a diverse and emergent community of social activists, thought leaders, and practitioners who are reigniting our human abilities to imagine, create and perform beyond ourselves—to develop.  Each episode will introduce you to another performance activist or play revolutionary from around the world.   To learn more about the East Side Institute you can go to https://eastsideinstitute.org/   Made possible in part by Growing Social Therapeutics: The Baylah Wolfe Fund.

Gandalf discusses their unique approach to rope, exploring themes of memory, vulnerability, and connection. They share insights on teaching, the emotional impact of touch, and creating spaces for authenticity and intentionality in rope practice.Gandalf (they/them) is a shibari artist and educator based in Shanghai. They are the founder and organiser of Embodied Flow and the conductor of a local Playback Theatre group. Formerly a cognitive scientist, Gandalf is interested in exploring various forms of embodied thinking with rope being their main medium. Over the past three years, they have been teaching rope to a wide variety of demographics across China, aiming to radically diversify shibari and build safer and more conscious rope communities for queer and women. For them, rope teaches us about "being together". Drawing from their background in psychology and experience across various forms of theatre and dance, Gandalf's workshops often consist of equal measures of movement and rope exercises, and participants are invited to explore a variety of topics from consent, safety, tension, to wild journeys into the philosophy of meaning making, vulnerability, and care. Gandalf has also started the "Kinbaku Theatre" initiative, where they hope to further expand the potential of shibari performances through stage productions. Their writings and talks are featured on Contemporary Queer Chinese Art, DOMUS China, TEDx etc.Explore 800+ high-quality rope bondage tutorials taught by world-class instructors: https://shibaristudy.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/shibari.study/Twitter: https://twitter.com/shibari_studyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ShibariStudyFetlife: https://fetlife.com/users/856858

Jo Salas is a writer, a social activist, and devoted grandmother. She grew up in New Zealand and now lives two hours north of New York City near woods and mountains. Jo's fiction includes the novels Dancing with Diana (Codhill Press, 2015), and Mrs. Lowe-Porter (JackLeg Press, 2024). Her short stories have appeared in literary journals and anthologies. Her story “After,” in the anthology Facing the Change: Personal Encounters with Global Warming was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. Other short stories have won or been shortlisted for awards.Jo is also the cofounder of Playback Theatre, an original form of interactive theatre based on personal stories now practiced worldwide. Her nonfiction writing has chronicled and explored Playback Theatre since its inception, with many publications including Improvising Real Life: Personal Story in Playback Theatre, now published in ten translations and a 20th anniversary edition.Today, we spend much of our time discussing MRS. LOWE-PORTER  which is based on the life of Helen Lowe-Porter, a brilliant, ambitious, warm-hearted, and self-deprecating woman who struggles for her own literary voice against the conventions of her time and the demands of the two male luminaries in her life: the legendary novelist Thomas Mann, whose works she translates, and her charismatic husband Elias.It's "[a]n exploration of the complicated life of the translator of Thomas Mann – who is a writer in her own right. Salas asks difficult questions about work and gender – whose words should take precedence? Whose work? Whose needs? Salas uses the real life of Helen Tracy Lowe-Porter as the foundation for this fascinating novel.”–Roxana Robinson, author of Dawson's Fall.Jo shares about what led her to write the book, her own resonance with Helen's story, what women contend with professionally and creatively when the world is not necessarily asking for their output, and then also another of Jo's major contributions to the world in her 50 year effort to develop and share Playback Theatre. They have a new series of performances beginning October 6th at the Muse in Rosendale.Today's show was engineered by Ian Seda from Radiokingston.org.Our show music is from Shana Falana!Feel free to email me, say hello: she@iwantwhatshehas.org** Please: SUBSCRIBE to the pod and leave a REVIEW wherever you are listening, it helps other users FIND IThttp://iwantwhatshehas.org/podcastITUNES | SPOTIFYITUNES: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/i-want-what-she-has/id1451648361?mt=2SPOTIFY:https://open.spotify.com/show/77pmJwS2q9vTywz7Uhiyff?si=G2eYCjLjT3KltgdfA6XXCAFollow:INSTAGRAM * https://www.instagram.com/iwantwhatshehaspodcast/FACEBOOK * https://www.facebook.com/iwantwhatshehaspodcast

Send us a textChris Fitz is the Founder and Artistic Director of River Crossing Playback Theatre in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. With experience in improvisational arts since 2003, Chris and his ensemble use Playback Theatre to build community by dramatically portraying real-life stories. He is also a trained mediator and former Executive Director of the Center for Community Peacemaking, specializing in Restorative Justice—community-based practices that address harm and promote healing in schools, communities, and the legal system.Chris sees Playback Theatre as a tool for personal and social healing, emphasizing the power of storytelling to foster connection, belonging, and understanding. Through performances like "Healing York," his troupe has addressed issues like racial harm, showing how storytelling can help heal communities.Chris believes in the importance of repeated dialogue and rituals to foster belonging, whether in-person or online, and offers advice to community builders on engaging participants without relying too heavily on presentations. His focus remains on creating safe spaces for people to connect, share their stories, and address community challenges through both art and conversation.Contact Chris Fitz and the River Crossing Playback Troupe by visiting the website  https://rivercrossingplayback.org/ and connect with Advoz at https://advoz.org/. If you have an online community, or just want to grow an online business, communicating directly to your audience allows you to build relationships with them one email at a time! You might think you don't have enough time, but I have some great news for you! ConvertKit can help you start building your email list with easy-to-setup templates, immediate analytics, and start for free! Buzzsprout Let's get your podcast Start for FREEMighty NetworksAll-In-One Community Platform for your course or membership. Bonsai Run your entire business in one place with the help of this business management tool ConvertKitConvertKit makes it easy to get started and has tons of support Grammerly Grammarly helps you become a better writer using AI technology Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showThe Community Strategy Podcast offers interviews with online community leaders who share their community-building journey. Our podcast covers community concepts, community building, community strategy, community structure, community membership, and community management. Visit our Website Find Calm Here to learn more about working with Deb

Where do we start?How do we bring an awareness of systems and structures and also redefine power within our own selves?...Sarah Urech is senior strategist and a founding staff member of the Omega Women's Leadership Center (OWLC), where she designs, coordinates, and leads innovative, holistic education programs, including workshops, conferences, and online courses. Sarah holds a Bachelor's in Drama from Duke University and studied theater in Berlin, Paris, and London, where she first saw Playback Theatre—improvisational theatre that honors audience members' true stories through spontaneous enactment. 30 years ago, she moved to New York's Hudson Valley to study Playback with its cofounders and immediately joined Hudson River Playback Theatre. Her Playback work has taken her around the world and rooted her in an embodied listening practice that is committed to social justice and collective artmaking. Today, Sarah introduces herself and the Omega Women's Leadership Center (OWLC). Abbie and Sarah explore shifting consciousness and building awareness around women's relationships to power and leadership. Abbie and Sarah discuss the old stories we have internalized that have kept women out of leadership roles as well as the new stories we hope to tell to empower women to claim leadership for themselves. Sarah explains Playback Theater; Abbie talks about emergence, improvisation, and collaboration. Finally, Abbie and Sarah consider the relationship between communication, creating space, and wellbeing. …Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created, produced & hosted by Abbie VanMeter.Stories Lived. Stories Told. is an initiative of the CMM Institute for Personal and Social Evolution....Music for Stories Lived. Stories Told. is created by Rik Spann. Find Rik on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Listen to our conversation with Rik in ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ep. 8⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠....⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Explore all things Stories Lived. Stories Told.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email me! storieslived.storiestold@gmail.comFollow me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Subscribe on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Check out my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Learn more about the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CMM Institute.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CMM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Mrs. Lowe-Porter (Jackleg Press 2024) was an American writer (1876-1963) who, after proving her ability, was contracted by publisher Alfred A. Knopf to translate the brilliant books and stories of Thomas Mann from 1924 -1960. Her flowing German to English translations led to Mann's growing reputation and helped earn him the 1929 Nobel Prize in Literature. In 1911, she married paleographer Elias Lowe, with whom she had three children and many good years, but he was also another dominating man in her life (in addition to Mann and Knopf). Lowe-Porter wrote numerous stories and one original play that was performed in 1948, but her struggle to write and publish was stymied by convention and the requirements of her time. On a side note, she was also the great-grandmother of former U.K. prime minister, Boris Johnson. Jo Salas is a New Zealander now living in upstate New York. She has a BA in English literature from Victoria University in New Zealand and an MM in music therapy from New York University. As the cofounder of Playback Theatre, an original theatre practice based on personal stories, Jo has published numerous articles and four books including Improvising Real Life, now in 10 translations. Her fiction includes the Pushcart-nominated short story “After,” and the Pen & Brush award winner “Antarctica.” Jo's first novel, Dancing with Diana, is about a young man in a wheelchair who met the future princess when they were both 15 years old. When she's not reading or writing, Jo is likely to be teaching international students how to enact real people's stories, playing hide-and-seek with her grandkids, or marching on the street with other social justice activists. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

For episode 090 of Actorcast, we are joined by Randy Mulder. I've had the opportunity to train and work with Randy and I thought it essential to have him on the show to talk about playback theatre. He talk about what playback theatre is, why it's so great for community building, and how actors can benefit from awareness about playback. You can learn more about Village Playback Theatre and the NY School of Playback Theatre by visiting the following links: https://www.villageplaybacktheatre.org/ https://www.nyspt.org/ https://www.facebook.com/VillagePlaybackTheatre/ Randy Mulder is the artistic director and co-founder of Village Playback Theatre in New York City. As an applied theatre company, VPT has performed in diverse settings, from homeless shelters to Lincoln Center. Under his leadership, the company has performed throughout metro New York, many parts of the U.S., and overseas. He has led performances and workshops in schools and universities, corporations, government agencies, social services, prisons, professional conferences, psychiatric hospitals, and several shows in traditional theatres. Randy is co-director and trainer of the New York School of Playback Theatre, which attracts students from all around the world. He is a faculty member at Kansas State University School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, where he teaches drama therapy graduate students. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in music (vocal performance) and a Masters in drama therapy. Follow my work at https://patrick-mcandrew.com and @patrick.mcandrew

Role Playing & Playback Theatre are forms of improvisational storytelling, that have limitless applications, including helping people understand each other across differences and elevating the stories of people who are less often heard in society. Join us for a discussion with a pioneer in using these art forms to communicate understanding related to aging and dementia care topics!  Erin Whalen Compassionate Coaching Playback Theatre We guide teams in the helping profession, especially bereavement professionals, to get through their days with more ease. (401) 684-4673 erin@compassionatecoaching.org www.compassionatecoaching.org View on-demand recording and chat

Creativity through the lens of a communication skills consultant and empathy infuser"It's a Divine purpose to create."Erin Whalen is a Communication Skills Coach and the founder of Compassionate Coaching, which guides teams in the helping profession, especially bereavement and end-of-life professionals, to get through their days with more ease. She uses her background as an actor, trainer, Playback Theatre practitioner, and facilitator to develop highly engaging programming that centers around giving and receiving empathy. Website: https://www.compassionatecoaching.org/Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-whalen-compassionate-coaching/IG: https://www.instagram.com/erin_compassionatecoaching/

Tzveta Baliyska is an actress, conductor and Playback Theatre Trainer, founder and director of Playback Theatre “Here and Now” and '"Dramedy Playback Theatre". She is a member of the board of directors of the Center for Playback Theatre since 2021. Founder and director of the annual Bulgarian Playback Theatre Gatherings from 2014. Tzveta was also the director and leader of the team of the European Playback Theatre Gathering 2022 in Sofia. In this episode of playback theatre talks, I am talking with Tzveta about her experience organizing a playback theatre conference in a time of instability. Tzveta and I also talked about crises, conflicts and leadership and about establishing and supporting a local playback community. Tzveta also told me what it's like to teach playback to her daughter.

Akilah Riley Richardson, a relational life therapist and clinical trauma practitioner, shared her journey and openly discussed people's challenges in a relationship. Akilah takes a PRIDE approach to resolving many stress-related issues. Like this, she has many forms of therapy to support people and find a sense of Authenticity, Abundance, Alignment, and Attunement. About Andy Greenaway & her journey. Training means a lot to me. I am a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, a Brain spotting Therapist and a Couples Therapist. I have received Training in various areas, including Somatic Experiencing, Playback Theatre, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, Neuroscience, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Relational Life Therapy, Psychobiological Approach Couples Therapy, Compassion Focused Therapy, and Internal Family Systems Therapy. I am also the founder of the BIPOC Relational Healing Institute, which is dedicated to healing BIPOC relationships and BIPOC mental health. I am a mother, partner, researcher, social worker, advocate, educator, facilitator, therapist, and person. I bring all of who I am to the spaces that I serve. They are listed in my affiliations below. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tbcy/support

Nonviolent Communication is a set of communication tools that priorities the quality of our relationships over being right or wrong or over winning or losing. In the current episode I am talking with Myriam Verzat, a playbacker and Nonviolent Communication trainer from Canada. Myriam and I will be talking about playback theatre and nonviolent communication, which we will refer to as NVC during the interview. Please join us and learn about NVC and the connection of the method to playback theatre. You can find more information about NVC here You can find more information about Myriam here

John interviews Daoist teacher and coach Spring Cheng MS, PhD, LAc. Spring is cofounder with Joe Shirley of the Resonance Path Institute based in Bellingham Washington. Spring's work focuses on restoring ancient Daoist teachings by rebalancing the masculine and feminine energies in Daoist theory and practice. Spring shares about integrating feeling/emotion perception into the teachings on life essence (jing), breath energy (qi), and spirit (shen), and about reinterpreting the I-Ching (Book of Changes) from that perspective into what she calls the Resonance Code. She also shares about learning qi gong as a young woman in China, learning about the three energies at acupuncture school in the U.S., and learning feelingwork from her partner Joe. The interview ends with her sharing how she evolved traditional Daoist teachings into practices such as Dancing Dao (synthesizing qi gong and improvisational dance), Inner Ecology Lab (applying Playback Theatre in developing resilient group dynamics), and Flow of Awareness (applying principles of Chinese medicine and acupuncture to taking responsibility for one's own wellness). Link to Spring's Website https://resonancepath.com/ Link to Spring's Book https://www.amazon.com/Resonance-Code-Empowering-Leaders-Wholeness/dp/1726737225 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/downwiththedharma/message

In this episode, I'm joined by Rachael Dubois, actor and drama coach. Rachael shares some of her most powerful moments working with audiences and unpacks the value that drama education can bring to young people and adults alike, including building empathy.Rachael Dubois is an experienced facilitator and teaching artist with a Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts. She is also an actor, theatre practitioner and film maker.Rachael uses the principles of storytelling, improvisation, adaptability and collaboration to help groups work together more creatively and cohesively and find ways to connect their bodies, intellect and imagination within professional and learning contexts.She has a particular fascination with personal story and spent a significant number of years working in Playback Theatre.Your homework:Try playing a drama game in your classroom this week to support students with their physical regulation skills. Knife and fork is a great place to start. Reflect on how their capacity to use non-verbal language and social skills improve with continued practice.Further learning related to this episode/references:What is Playback Theatre?Melbourne Playback TheatreARTS:LIVEThe SongroomBook: Improvisation by Lyn PierseImprov Games for collaborationLearn more at teacherhealer.comMusic by Twisterium from Pixabay.ZeroCo Ditch single-use plastics Support the show

Body poem creator Katie and teacher Julian join Mark Walsh to discuss, tantra, sexological bodywork, anal mapping, clean language, Playback Theatre, deep body listening, the process of creating a “brand”, and embodiment in Portugal. A exploration of an interesting practice.  Find out more at : Julian https://julianmarcus.net/  Katie https://www.seaschoolofembodiment.com/

S3第10集： 一人一戲場 人生的不斷學習。對表演那團火、Playback Theatre是甚麼？ 同志團體「愛自由 」 小額贊助支持本節目： https://pay.firstory.me/user/ckqxtiox2u7ya0806mjs1g7vz 留言告訴我你對這一集的想法： https://open.firstory.me/story/ckzt9da7913ci0812cfr72xiz?m=comment 聯絡我們：Contact@dungdungdungcast.com #燈登登播客企劃 Powered by Firstory Hosting

In this episode of Why Change?, co-hosts Madeline and Jeff reflect on a dynamic conversation with storyteller Fidaa Ataya who shares her art as an “amazing, crazy tool for change.” Based in Palestine, Fidaa shares about the purpose and power of telling stories based on generational and cultural knowledge and how that can be applied to contemporary times as forms of peaceful protest. Together, Madeline and Jeff discuss the social responsibility artists have to use their art to draw attention to the causes they believe in. In this episode you'll learn: Examples of art and storytelling as forms of peaceful protest. How the art of storytelling can create a sense of grounding and rootedness in a community and heritage while also reflecting and amplifying parallels of current life. What individuals and communities can do now to leverage the arts as a tool for change and support the people and culture of Palestine. ABOUT FIDAA ATAYA: A storyteller. Her grandmother, forcibly expelled from her home and homeland in Al Bourj Palestine in 1948, would tell her stories. As she listened, Fidaa would fly with her imagination across borders, across the occupation, to freedom. Traditionally, women in Palestine told stories in private, not in public. But Fidaa tells stories in public, using them as a tool for survival, to pass on the anthropology of her people, to prove their existence and resistance. She holds a bachelor's degree in education and psychology, diplomas in drama and education and playback theatre, and an MEd in Integrated Arts from Plymouth State University (NH). Fidaa has produced and performed shows in Palestine, Europe, America, and the Arab world and performed in numerous festivals across the globe. Fidaa has founded or co-founded a number of groups including the Art and Activism Residency, Hakaya Group to revive traditional Palestinian storytelling, Arabic School of Playback, Women's Theatre at Burj Al-Barajna refugee camp, The Rain Singer Theatre at Tulkarm refugee camp, and the Palestinian American Children's Theatre (PACT). She is a Drama in Education Specialist and Faculty Member at the Arab School of Playback Theatre, a member of ITC4 in New York, as well as a puppeteer, filmmaker, and director. She has directed several short films which have been shown in Palestine, within the United States, and in Italy. With Seraj Libraries, she is helping to open the National Storytelling Center in Palestine. This episode of Why Change? A Podcast for the Creative Generation was powered by Creative Generation. Produced and Edited by Daniel Stanley. For more information on this episode and Creative Generation please visit and follow us on social media @Campaign4GenC --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/whychange/support

Hani Al Rstum is a Syrian playbacker, psychotherapist and activist that is living in Belgium. In this special episode Hani will share with me his experience as a refugee and the role that playback theatre played in his life while he was living in exile. The first part of the episode is dedicated to Hani's story as a refugee in Syria. In the second part of our talk Hani and me will talk about playback theatre in conflict zones and about what should we keep in mind when doing playback theatre with refugees.

Sean talks with Laxmi about the improv scene in Bangalore, her experiences with Playback Theatre and her improv development with Adam Eves, Bangalores first all female improv team. We also discuss how she launched City Lamps Theatre and her twoprov experience with Them.

In this episode, Nirmala Nataraj, a New York-based writer, editor, book midwife, theater artist, and myth-maker, joins The Okay Days to talk about storytelling. As a South Asian American woman who thrives in liminal spaces, her work lives at the crossroads of creativity, mythology, storytelling, and collective liberation. As a multi-genre collaborator and creative facilitator, Nirmala believes in generative solutions in the midst of chaos, the coexistence of messiness and magic, and breathtaking beauty as a natural consequence of this wild ride. She is trained in a variety of methods of narrative-based collective healing, including Family Constellations, Psychodrama, Playback Theatre, and Theatre of the Oppressed. Some of the passions she brings to facilitation include movement (especially 5 Rhythms), guided visualization, and creative writing from unexpected prompts. Nirmala is also a MNDFL Certified Mindfulness Instructor and a Depth Hypnosis Practitioner who is especially passionate about working with BIPOC womxn and femmes to reclaim their creative autonomy and mythic geographies. Through her Infinite Field work, she has developed a powerful method to lead people through guided meditation and free-writing prompts that help them to unearth deeper truths and step into deep personal and ancestral wisdom. We talk about Nirmala's Infinite Field, moving through the different spaces we all find ourselves in, how to turn "I" into "we" and what storytelling can do to our mental health. Follow along at nirmalanataraj.com.

In the current episode of Playback Theatre Talks I am talking again with Jori Linnamäki (Jori Pitkänen). Jori is a playback conductor and actor from Finland and he is also the former IPTN president. Jori just recently started his new (important) career as a father to a little baby girl :) Jori and I will define and describe some familiar playback theatre forms and we will also answer the following questions- -What is the process of matching a form to a story? -What are Narrative forms and non-Narrative Forms? -What is the role of short and long forms in a performance? -How can one invent a form or adapt a form to one's needs? -Are there any wrong forms? -What form should we use when hearing a traumatic story? -What should we do when we're making a mistake while playing a form? If you are looking for more information about playback forms, here are some books that contain descriptions of several Playback Theatre Forms: A Playback Theatre Toolkit: through the lens of one company's experience and about the impactful playback group. Anne and Christopher Ellinger Improvising Real Life: Personal Story in Playback Theatre. Jo Salas Stage for Everyone- Teaching Playback Theatre. Einat Mashaal Nitzan (Will be published later-on this year).

“Whatever you want to be Playback Theatre gives you that skill … Dare to be human” Our third guest, Oluwadamilola Apotieri-Abdulai, joins us from another country and continent: Nigeria in Westafrica. Damilola is Nigeria's first Applied Drama and Playback Theatre practitioner. In our conversation, he shares how he transforms lives with the power of theater. He creates theatrical adventures in unconventional spaces and with people from all walks of life. In this process of social transformation, he builds bridges and opportunities nationally and internationally. For him, nature is an integral part of the creative process. As a theatre artist, he experiences and observes nature so that he can embody it on stage. As always, this episode includes an improvised interlude. We try ourselves in Playback theatre and by chance exemplify how nature inspires our life stories. “My journey mostly is like a learning journey, like a learning experience. What works? What can I bring back home?” Connect with Damilola and find out more about his work: Website: www.playbacknigeria.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/dapotieri Instagram: @dapotieri LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/damilolaapotieri Twitter: @damilola_a Email: damilola_a@yahoo.com Stay up to date with The Grow Zone - Real Time Adventures: Website: thegrowzone.de Instagram: @the.growzone To connect with Sarah and Ceri you can find and follow them here: Sarah Hübner Website: www.improverin.com Facebook: @improverin Instagram: @improverin LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/improverin/ E-Mail: sarah@improverin.com Ceri Temple Website: www.4elements.eu Facebook: @4elements.eu Instagram: @4elements.eu or @ceri_temple LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ceridwentemple E-Mail: ctemple@4elements.eu Podcast editing by: www.7daysaudio.com

In the current episode of Playback Theatre Talks I am very honored to have Jo Salas, the co-founder of Playback Theatre. After More than 40 years, Jo is still fascinated by the magic of playback theatre. Jo was the artistic director of Hudson River Playback Theatre, which she founded in 1990 and she has written extensively about Playback Theatre. Jo and me will talk about Jo's and Jonathan Fox's new book "Personal Stories in Public Spaces: Essays on Playback Theatre by Its Founders" and we will focus on trauma stories in playback (we start to talk about trauma after 29 minutes). Jo and I will try to answer the following questions -In which way trauma stories are different from other kinds of stories? -What is the difference between different kinds of trauma Stories? -How should we, as playbackers, work with Trauma stories? -How can we attend to the audience or to ourselves when hearing a traumatic story? We will also talk about gender in playback theatre and Jo's experience being co-founder of playback theatre with Jonathan Fox. Thank you for Joining us.

Will Chalmus, also known as Will C. is an adjunct professor at Brandeis, that founded several playback theatre companies and served on the board for the Center for Playback. Will C. and I will talk about politics, identity and race in playback theatre. Will C. and I also tried to answer the following questions: -Should we as playbackers be political? -Can we use playback as a political tool? -How can we deal with racism, sexism etc., in the stories that we play and in our communities? -What should we, as a community, do in order to be more inclusive? Thanks for joining us!

Laxmi Priya - Playback Theatre & More by Margot Escott

In 1975 in the Hudson Valley of New York, a young man was asking a group of strangers to play back each others' stories for the first time. This man presented a group of strangers what later will be known as "Playback Theatre". In this Episode of Playback Theatre Talks I am very honored to talk with the creator and co-founder of Playback Theatre, Jonathan Fox. Jonathan and I will talk about Jonathan's personal journey, from his childhood to his life today as the creator of the Listening Hour. We will also talk about meaning in Playback Theatre and the fuzziness and indirectness that accompanies the playback experience. Thank you for joining us!

In this episode, Naomi Tessler speaks about the power of expression and improvisation and on encouraging those who might otherwise remain silent in their pain to speak their truth. She does so by providing them with a safe place to do so - a place filled with love and support. She removes the pressure of participation and allows for creativity and the joy of being seen, heard, and acknowledged through theatre.  About Naomi: Naomi Tessler, M.A. has been working with communities globally for 9 years, using theatre to inspire positive change! She is a graduate of the Masters of Arts program in Educational Theatre for Colleges and Communities, New York University and currently facilitates and develops Branch Out Theatre workshops and productions with organizations and groups in Toronto and Ottawa.  She is passionate about using theatre as a tool for encouraging self-empowerment, self-confidence, environmental awareness, social justice and well-being.  As a facilitator, Naomi has an extensive background in Theatre of the Oppressed, Playback Theatre, acting, physical theatre, storytelling, directing and playwriting and strives to share these tools with those she works and collaborates with.   In addition to being a dynamic workshop facilitator and educator, Naomi also works as an actor, director, playwright, poet, singer and Reiki Master. She believes in uniting communities through theatre to build bridges and break through barriers. Check this out for more on this remarkable outreach: https://branchouttheatre.com/

This week we talked to the passionate and talented Rajesh PI, a theatre and wellness coach, actor and founder of the playback group ‘The Actors Collective'. Based in Bangalore, this group uses theatre to build teams, develop one's sense of self and foster peace in the world. We've been left inspired by this insightful conversation filled with anecdotes and a glimpse into the world of an actor! We hope you enjoy listening and get inspired by Rajesh's stories, self awareness, and compassion... In this episode of Empatea, we discuss: ✅ Playback theatre and The Actors Collective ✅ The importance of celebrating YOU ✅ Talking playback and theatre acting: Busting the myth of playback perfection ✅ Cinematography and acting in an increasingly virtual world ✅ Compassion, empathy, patience: Relationship management in the acting sphere ✅ Theatre as a tool for bonding, connection ✅ Importance of neutrality to develop individuality

In this special episode of Playback Theatre Talks I am joined with top playback leaders - Aviva Apel-Rosentha (Israel ), Karina Bettina Gisler (Switzerland), Jori Linnamäki (Finland) and Michael Cheng (Singapore). This is an open and honest talk about the struggles and the hardships that Aviva, Karin, Jori and Michael had to go through as leaders, as well as the solutions, the skills and the meaning they found in order to be able to lead their prospers groups and communities for many years. Please join us as we conclude 2020 and discuss leadership in times of change. As mentioned in the episode, here is a valuable quote one must keep in mind when practicing leadership- "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference." Reinhold Niebuhr All guests were on the first episodes of Playback Theatre Talks and you can listen to their individual interviews on the podcast: Aviva is the founder of "PLAYLIFE" ensemble. She is a former President of the IPTN and she is teaching playback around the world. Karina Bettina Gisler is a playback conductor and performer with 30 years of experience. She founded playback theatre Zurich and is also teaching playback all over the world. Jori is the president of the IPTN and a playback conductor and actor in several groups. Michael Cheng is the chairman of the Centre for Playback Theatre. He is also the Artistic Director of Tapestry Playback Theatre. You can find the full video recording of this talk on YouTube- https://youtu.be/-ZJ7bLUdf3o

Ferran Luengo talks about Playback Theatre, symbolism, dealing with difficult material, telling stories from a dog's perspective, the fact that colours have emotions, Dreamweaver Quartet, True Heart Theatre, ISL, Isaac Simon and Improv Utopia.

In the current episode I am talking with Sheila Donio about playing Characters in playback theatre. Sheila is a playbacker from Brazil and the founder of "Cria Playback". She is also the former Chair of the Center for Playback Theatre. Sheila and me will discuss: -What should we keep in mind when we play characters in playback? -How can we avoid stereotypes? -How can we play social forces as characters? -How can we balance the three circles of playback (art, ritual, social)? Sheila and me will also talk about making playback accessible to everyone and about Sheila's journey to playback. Please join us!

In the current episode I am talking with Igor Lyubitov about Archetypes in Playback Theatre. Igor is a psychologist, a psychodramatist, a playback practitioner and trainer from Moscow. He is a cofounder of the Russian Central Playback Theatre School and a board member in the Center for Playback Theater. Igor and I are talking about Archetypes and how they can contribute to our work as playbackers. We are also talking about the development of the playback scene in Russia and about the surprising power of clichés. Please join us for another playback theater talk!

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THEATRE WITH CHETNA MEHROTRA, FOUNDER OF RANGBHUMI – A HAPPY PLAYGROUND, DRAMA BASED LEARNING FACILITATOR, THEATRE OF THE OPPRESSED FACILITATOR, PLAYBACK THEATRE ARTIST, WARDROBE & ETIQUETTE CONSULTANT. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/hira-mehta/message

Unlike musicians in other types of musical performances, the playback musician must have the capacity to attune to the teller and to fellow company members while structuring and shaping the playback ritual. In the current episode of Playback Theatre Talks I had the pleasure of talking with the talented Ernie Gruner. Ernie has been a playback theatre musician in Melbourne Playback Theatre Company since 1999. In the last 30 years Ernie worked with a wide variety of musicians, bands and communities, and is regarded as Australia’s leading klezmer violinist. Ernie and I will discuss the following questions- What is the musician role in playback theatre? How can a musician support a scene? What skills and training should a PT musician have? What can a playback group do if they don't have a musician but they still like to have music? What are the best instruments for a playback performance? How can we combine music when doing PT online? Please join us for another playback theatre talk!

Larry Ng, is an actor, director, movement coach and a drama therapist that is practicing playback theatre in Hong Kong in the last decade. In the current episode, Larry and I will talk about physical theater and playback theatre. We will answer the following questions- What is Physical Theater? How can we incorporate more physicality in our playback acting? Which exercises can help us in implementing physicality in our playback acting? How can we balance between structure and flow? How can it be possible to do playback when freedom of speech is restricted? Please join us!

In the current episode I will talk about Playback Acting with the one and only, Hannah Fox! Hannah is a professor of dance and theatre, she is the director of the New York School of Playback Theatre and the founder of Big Apple Playback Theatre. She is also the daughter of the founders of Playback Theatre, Jonathan Fox and Jo Salas. Hannah will talk about- -What was it like for her to grow up in the Fox-Salas household? -What is unique about playback theatre acting? -What does the term "Citizen Actor" mean? -What are the main values of playback acting? -What should we keep in mind when we are doing playback online? -What playback theatre and yoga have in common? Please join us!

As this podcast goes to air we are moving into our next full moon. The sun sign is in Leo and the moon is full in Aquarius… a reflective time time to nourish our creations and break through our limitations. Aquarius energy teaches us to break free of our limitation and the social norms to find our true self. The vibrations coming in now are all about breaking free and finding new perspectives. And as we have been talking about... this full moon is allowing each of us to open up fully to our light… to that part that inspires us to go beyond... to heal our wounds... to know that we are all evolving - evolution - revolution. It is also about questioning your own consciousness and where each of us can awaken… individually and collectively. This full moon asks you to feel your truth and then send it back out into the consciousness around you to help share a new reality. Aquarius and Leo energy encourages us to know where we are and insures us to shed expectation from others, to rise above the fear of rejection and align with our essence.  When you can reframe your challenges and problems as portals of energy… ways to illuminate the lessons rather than as just limitations, you open yourself up to discover the immense power you hold within yourself to heal and let go of your emotional blocks.  All of this I talk about about on the Energy Focus of the week which you can find live on Sunday nights on Facebook or Instagram.  Download my free guide to help you set up your own daily Practice. You can find it on my website at  TerriAnnHeiman.com. Or if you would prefer some private help, join me in my Empowered Spirit Program.  Schedule an Empowered Spirit Discovery Session with me and let's discover what three things are draining you of your energy and if this program is a fit for you. I am seeing clients, virtually and  some in person, and I do have just a few spot left for my private mentoring program . In today's episode, I talk with Amy Oestreicher about her life, her challenges and especially her creativity and how it has helped her to overcome her obstacles.  Her book, My Beautiful Detour, is one of the most inspiriting story I've heard in a long time. I absolutely fell in love with her! We talk about creating and art as a means to heal, detours, resilience, abuse, PTSD, eating and so much more that went into her own personal healing. Talk about reframing your challenges and problems... wow. Amy Oestreicher is a PTSD Specialist, Audie award-nominated playwright, performer and multidisciplinary creator. Amy overcame a decade of trauma to become a sought-after traumainformed teaching artist, author, writer for The Huffington Post, international keynote speaker, RAINN representative and health advocate. She has given three TEDx Talks on transforming trauma through creativity, and her story has appeared on NBC's Today, CBS, Cosmopolitan, Seventeen Magazine, The Washington Post, Good Housekeeping and MSNBC, among others. A singer, librettist and visual mixed media artist, she dedicates her work to celebrating everyday miracles, untold stories and the detours in life that can spark connection and transform communities. Amy has toured her autobiographical musical, Gutless & Grateful, to over 200 venues from 54 Below to Barrington Stage Company since its 2012 NYC debut, as well as a mental health program for colleges, conferences and organizations. She is currently developing her full-length play, Flicker and a Firestarter, which just had its first AEA Staged Reading, and More Than Ever Now, a play based on her grandmother's story of survival. She most recently premiered her one-woman multimedia musical, Passageways, at HERE Arts Center, for which she created music, book, lyrics and artwork. As the 2014 Eastern Regional Recipient of Convatec's Great Comebacks Award and WEGO Health “Health Activist Hero” and WeGO Health Expert, she speaks for National WOCN conferences and the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress and writes for the official print publication of the UOAA. She has devised programming for the Transformative Language Arts Network National Conference, the Eating Recovery Foundation, the 40th Anniversary New England Educational Opportunity Association Milestones Conference, three Annual National Mental Health America Conference and others. She has been the featured keynote speaker for national conferences including the Pacific Rim Conference of Diversity and Disability, the International School of Social Work Conference and Women of Resilience. As a playwright, Amy has received awards and accolades for engaging her audiences in dynamic conversation on trauma's effects on society, including Women Around Town's “Women to Celebrate” 2014, BroadwayWorld “Best Theatre Debut,” Bistro Awards “New York Top Pick” and the “Singular Award” at the Sarasolo Theatre Festival, presented annually for a “performance that is exceptionally uncommon, groundbreaking, original and inventive.” Amy has performed excerpts of her solo oral history play, Divers, as part of Brooklyn's immigrants and Exile, Beechwood Art's Giving Voice, Dixon Place, Seekonk Storytelling Television Special, and Museum of Jewish Heritage Festival of Untold Women. She is a cabaret and theatre reviewer for BroadwayWorld, Her theatre education essays and monologues have been published in Creative Pedagogy journals, as part of a theatre curriculum for high school students in the Philippines. Her play, "We Re-Member" honoring the immigration stories of her grandparents, has been performed in twelve states, and her full-length play, Factory Treasure, has been performed at the Philadelphia Arts Center, Identity Theatre, LIU, The Depot and Actors Theatre of Newburyport. Her short plays have been published by the Eddy Theatre Company and finalists in Manhattan Repertory Theatre's Short Play Festival, as well as NYC Playwright's Women in the Age of Trump. Amy's collaboration with Beechwood Arts on the immersion salon, “Resilience and the Power of the Human Spirit,” has traveled around the world to health and arts facilities as a public installation, incorporating her monologues, art, writing and recipes to express the life-altering detours and ultimately the invaluable gifts of her resilient journey. Amy is also an active artist and teacher in the Jewish community, being honored by United Way in 2005 for her music programs at Hollander House, completing artist residencies at Art Kibbutz, and delivering “Hope, Resilience & Biblical Women” keynotes for synagogues and religious schools. She is a teaching artist with Brooklyn's Community World Project, and trained ACTSmart, a Playback Theatre troupe in Amherst, MA. She is also a passionate arts education advocate, a successful mixed media visual artist, a continuing education studio arts teacher and her artwork has been shown in esteemed galleries in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Chicago, San Diego and New York, as well as published in national publications including Conquer, Topology and Cargo Literary. She has recently published her memoir, My Beautiful Detour: An Unthinkable Journey from Gutless to Grateful. See more at www.amyoes.com. Facebook. Instagram. YouTube #lovemydetour Join The Campaign. Walk - “Step into Joy” Step Into Joy Workshops: Walking for Connection, Discovery & Play  Covid masks -  Art stuff -  TedXTalks. Sexual trauma of my PTSD: It's OK to Freeze: Healing From Sexual Assault  Spiritual Ecology: The Cry of the Earth As Amy says… we are have this creative force within us.  Allow yourself to go within and find this energy to help overcome any obstacle. Reach out to Amy for inspiration, her programs or to bring her to your group and have her share her inspiring story. I fell in love with her. #Lovemydetour - be a part of the movement! And, if you need help on your spiritual path, reach out to me. I have a few openings for my private mentoring program.   Thanks again for listening. To your Spirit, Terri PS… Schedule a Virtual Coffee here.   Join Terri's Facebook Group  Follow Terri on Instagram Find her on LinkedIn   EPISODE CREDITS If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Danny Ozment. He helps thought leaders, influencers, executives, HR professionals, recruiters, lawyers, realtors, bloggers, coaches, and authors create, launch, and produce podcasts that grow their business and impact the world. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com

Ronen Kowalsky is a clinical psychologist, practicing and teaching playback theatre in Israel for almost 30 years. Ronen is also one of the founders of the Israeli Institute for Psychotherapeutic Playback Theatre. Ronen and me will be talking about therapeutic elements in playback theater and about the method that Ronen developed with Nir raz named- Psychotherapeutic Playback Theatre. We will also discuss- -The differences between performative playback work and non performative playback work. -Unconscious communication in the playback group. -The psychological impact of structured playback forms and unstructured playback forms. -What is unique in the method- Psychotherapeutic Playback Theatre. To read more about the method, please visit the website- https://www.playback-therapy.co.il/home Please join us for another interesting and insightful talk!

Anne and Christopher Ellinger are the founders of True Story Theater and Playback North America. They have published several books about Playback, the most familiar one is A Playback Theatre Toolkit: through the lens of one company's experience. In this episode we will discuss - -Types of groups. -How to evaluate a team's morale? -How to prevent conductor's burn out. -Leading a group together as life partners and spouses. -How the toolkit can help you create an impactful group. If you want to learn more about Anne and Christopher's activities please visit: https://playbacknorthamerica.com/ and https://truestorytheater.com/ Please join us!

Anastasia Vorobyeva is a playbacker from Moscow who specializes in combining playback and movement. In our talk we will answer the following questions- -How can we translate certain playback theatre forms to be based on movement? -What types of movement can serve us when we're practicing playback? -How can we avoid repetition and break patterns? -What is required in order for us to fulfill our potential as dancing playbackers? We will also talk about Anastasia's personal journey to playback, her social activism and the different roles that she's playing in Vozdukh Center and in the International Playback Theatre Network. Please join us!

ep. #11  My intro to this episode dives in a bit more than usual, into my thoughts on the work I am doing with this podcast and with my family, particularly regarding the learning process of how to practice anti-racism with every step I take. Here is the episode with Kaya Mindlin that I mention in the intro. Clarifying Non-attachment and Spiritual Bypass with Kaya Mindlin This episode with Maude Davis (episode 11) doesn't directly bring in race, trauma and how therapy can support activism and anti-racism, it could be deeply effective and healing for that work. Much of what we talk about is the landscape of inner material that is longing to be healed. The grief and trauma we hold in our bodies is crying out to be felt and moved through. I have personally found drama and expressive arts therapy to be the MOST impactful approach to healing life-long - no, generational patterns. Maude Davis is working with therapy clients at the Living Arts Counseling Center in Oakland, Ca. She uses her training in Expressive Arts Therapy and Jungian Analysis as a "Therapy Director" in the workshops she does with Armond Volkis, called Autobiographical Therapeutic Performance. Maude has training and background in theater in New York City, where she worked for years as an actor, director and teacher. She is a PH.D candidate and has studied at the CG Jung Institute in Zurich. Topics covered in this episode: Theoretical background of Maude's work Getting into the therapeutic work Being in relationship to our inner material Therapist revery The moment of change Activation of something very old within us Midwives for the psyche Entering the play space Processing through play (children and adults) The profound letting go  The universal trickster Revolution coming, a play revolution At home drama therapy exercises you can do today Transform your life though Autobiographical Therapeutic Performance NEW online workshop starts June 24th, 2020  What is Autobiographical Therapeutic Performance? Autobiographical Therapeutic Performance is an innovative short-term therapy approach that supports participants in identifying and transforming self-defeating “life scripts” through drama therapy processes. ATP incorporates acting, improvisation, drama therapy, psychodrama and Playback Theatre techniques. Find out more at the website: Living Arts Counseling Center Video of Darrrl McDadiels telling his story of making music inspired by Sarah McLachlan Mallika's website: https://www.thewildandwise.com/  Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thewildandwise/ If you have enjoyed the show, please rate, review and subscribe in iTunes. NEW therapeutic offering - Embodied Therapeutic Art Process (ETAP) Support the show (https://www.thewildandwise.com/donate)

Can playback theatre be used for social change? In this episode, Ben Rivers is sharing some of his experiences as a social activist using playback to prompt social change. Ben and me discussed some of the following questions- -Can playback be used as an effective tool to promote social change? -What are the advantages of playback theater on other methods like theatre of the oppressed? -Are we as playbackers exposed to secondary trauma when working with complex stories? -How can we use playback theatre to fight climate change? Dr. Ben Rivers is a psychotherapist and educator. He has practiced and taught in Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and North America, working extensively with communities impacted by violence, trauma and adversity. He is Executive Director of Dawar Kitchen and Dawar for Arts and Development (Cairo, Egypt). He holds a PhD in Peace Studies

The DL Power Couple discuss how prevalent art has become and will continue to be during quarantine. A lot of Ms. Latrice's artistic engagements have become zoom calls. She has still been able to engage in the arts everyday through her freelance business. Ms. Latrice has also been able to engage in the arts by participating in virtual events with the Indiana Writers Center, Indiana Playwrights Circle, and Playback Theatre through Small Change Interactive. She has definitely remained artistically busy and emphasizes that art engages all five senses. Dominique shares that he's been writing more often and that it's very therapeutic for him. He suggests that people use art as a form of active meditation during times of stress and uncertainty. Quarantine will likely lead to a recession, and recessions make people feel insecure about their current situations. Both Dominique and Ms. Latrice want you to know that you are amazing and that you are enough.

Michael Cheng is a playbacker from Singapore, he is the chairman of the Centre for Playback Theatre. He is the Artistic Director of Tapestry Playback Theatre and one of the founders of the playback community in Singapore. Michael is also the founder and admin of the biggest playback group on Facebook (Playback Theater Around the World). Here are some of the questions Michael and me will be discussing: How can we build a group or a community as playbackers? What is the impact of being a member in several groups at the same time? What is the role that Facebook is playing in building a community? Does social media give a true representation of the playback community? How does online playback affect the community of playbackers these days? Please Join us for another playback theatre talk!

How does playing for children is different than playing for adults? What should we keep in mind when working with a younger audience? I had the pleasure to talk with Chetnaa Mehrotra about playback for children and got to learn SO much about it. This episode is fascinating even if you are not performing or teaching children (But I must warn you that you might want to start doing that after listening). Chetnaa is the founder of Rangbhumi, an Applied Theatre organisation based in Mumbai. She is training children in Playback Theatre in schools and communities and preforming mainly to children with her playback group Ghumakkad. Please join us for another playback theater talk!

"A person who never made a mistake, never tried anything new" Albert Einstein once said. In this week's episode I am hosting the International Playback Theatre Network (IPTN) president, Jori Pitkänen, in a compelling dialogue about the concept of mistakes in playback. What is consider to be a mistake in playback? How can we work with a mistake we made? What mistakes can we do when working with traumatic stories? Can we "fix" mistakes? Me and Jori will be talking about that and also about romance in playback (yes, again...), duo playback, taboos in playback and Jori's journey to playback. Apart from his role at the IPTN, Jori is a talented playback conductor and actor, PHD student and a game designer. He is kind, wise and sensitive. I highly recommend you to get to know him through this playback talk.

Climate Emergency. What can one do? Presented as part of the Sustainable Living Festival, Melbourne Playback Theatre Company in collaboration with Climate for Change are hosting an evening of conversation and performance - sharing stories, knowledge, and empowering action. Part workshop, part improvisational performance, The Power For Change will recap the climate science, offer a pathway for change and use the power of playback theatre to deepen the conversation. Audience reflections and stories about our individual and collective response to climate change will power the creation of theatre, and inspire ongoing action after the event.The night will provoke the mind, nourish the heart, and, ultimately, motivate meaningful action. Recorded by Fien Van Den Steen - check out her blog at https://finfinnews.com/ See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Climate Emergency. What can one do? Presented as part of the Sustainable Living Festival, Melbourne Playback Theatre Company in collaboration with Climate for Change are hosting an evening of conversation and performance - sharing stories, knowledge, and empowering action. Part workshop, part improvisational performance, The Power For Change will recap the climate science, offer a pathway for change and use the power of playback theatre to deepen the conversation. Audience reflections and stories about our individual and collective response to climate change will power the creation of theatre, and inspire ongoing action after the event.The night will provoke the mind, nourish the heart, and, ultimately, motivate meaningful action. Recorded by Fien Van Den Steen - check out her blog at https://finfinnews.com/ Support the show: https://www.climactic.fm/p/support-the-collective/

Climate Emergency. What can one do?Presented as part of the Sustainable Living Festival, Melbourne Playback Theatre Company in collaboration with Climate for Change are hosting an evening of conversation and performance - sharing stories, knowledge, and empowering action.Part workshop, part improvisational performance, The Power For Change will recap the climate science, offer a pathway for change and use the power of playback theatre to deepen the conversation. Audience reflections and stories about our individual and collective response to climate change will power the creation of theatre, and inspire ongoing action after the event.The night will provoke the mind, nourish the heart, and, ultimately, motivate meaningful action.Recorded by Fien Van Den Steen - check out her blog at https://finfinnews.com/ See /privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Climate Emergency. What can one do? Presented as part of the Sustainable Living Festival, Melbourne Playback Theatre Company in collaboration with Climate for Change are hosting an evening of conversation and performance - sharing stories, knowledge, and empowering action. Part workshop, part improvisational performance, The Power For Change will recap the climate science, offer a pathway for change and use the power of playback theatre to deepen the conversation. Audience reflections and stories about our individual and collective response to climate change will power the creation of theatre, and inspire ongoing action after the event.The night will provoke the mind, nourish the heart, and, ultimately, motivate meaningful action. Recorded by Fien Van Den Steen - check out her blog at https://finfinnews.com/ Support the show: https://www.climactic.fm/p/support-the-collective/

This podcast is for playbackers, playback fans, art therapists and performers. The purpose of the podcast is to share knowledge, to learn and to empower and support the playback theater community. I will be hosting playbackers from all around the world to talk about different aspects of playback theatre and about their journeys as playbackers.

Aviva is the founder of "PLAYLIFE" ensemble. She is a former President of the IPTN, a teacher in the international leadership training and a legendary playbacker. What is the role of innovation in playback and where does Aviva is placing herself on the spectrum between classical playback and innovative playback? Please join our playback theater talk to find out!

Dr. Leticia Nieto’s book Beyond Inclusion, Beyond Empowerment: A Developmental Strategy to Liberate Everyone, helps analyze the psychological dynamics of privilege and oppression, and describes ways to develop skills to promote social justice. Leticia has been working for over three decades as a counselor and educator. She is a Professor in the Master of Arts in Counseling Program at Saint Martin’s University and Artistic Director of Pasajer@s Playback Theatre. She speaks and trains on topics of diversity and anti-oppression in the Northwest, nationally, and internationally. She is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT), a National Certified Counselor (NCC), a certified Trainer, Educator, and Practitioner (TEP) in psychodrama, an Accredited Playback Theatre Trainer (APTT), and has the Approved Supervisor Designation from the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT).

What is StopBeingBoring? StopBeingBoring is an offline community that offers a safe space for one improve his/her soft skills through performing-art based workshops such as standup, improv, playback theatre, dance etc. Tenets of the Community: We intend to build this community on two foundational values, learning and creating. As a part of the learning series, these podcasts will explore the workshop-organisers in Bangalore and learn from their experiences. Who's our first guest? Snehil Basoya This first episode features Snehil Basoya. He is the typical Indian middle class kid born in the 80s & 90s. Hardworking parents who believed education is the way out of the "middle class" so pushed their kids to excel at everything. Snehil has kicked ass in all his academic endeavours IIT-D, IIM-A, Agri tech startup etc. But, what sets him apart is his artistic pursuits such as Improv, Playback Theatre, Poetry, Clowning, Poetry & Writing. In this episode, we talk about his childhood, his definition of soft skill, its importance in the workplace, the obstacles and ways to over come them. We learnt a lot from Snehil and we hope you do too. Join our Community! www.medium.com/StopBeingBoring - Team, StopBeingBoring, Anvesh, Devesh, Melissa, Moses #SoftSkills #PersonalityDevelopment #OfflineCommunity #StopBeingBoring

If you missed part one and part two, I encourage you to check these episodes out first as it gives to the foundation for today’s conversation. In a relationship, it is easy to focus on what our partner is doing that isn’t working or is problematic. Yet, at the same time, we often overlook the ways in which we contribute to the problematic pattern. How often do we ask the question, “How lovable am I being right now?“ In part one and part two, we discussed tips 1 through 7. Today we will address tips number 8 through 14. (Please listen to the podcast episode or read the transcript to hear explanations, stories, and examples.) HOW TO BE MORE LOVABLE – PART THREE 8. Be Authentic, Genuine and Sincere The word “authentic’ and the word “author” come from the same origin. If you have the tendency to please your partner, you run the risk of losing yourself. Do your best to take a moment and connect with what is true for you before discussing options with your partner. 9. Be Values-Driven, which Promotes Personal Integrity Know what your highest values are in your life (i.e. making a difference, health, family, security, fun, relationship, etc.). This will help you prioritize what matters most for you in your life, even when it might not be easy, convenient or fun. Do your best to follow through with your agreements, and when you run into an issue, renegotiate the agreement with your partner. Consistency over time builds trust. Be accountable to yourself. 10. Set Boundaries When you are authentic and connect to your values, your boundaries will be much more clear. Having boundaries helps you show up more fully with your partner. Setting limits helps your partner know, love and care for you more. Each person’s needs are equally important in the relationship. 11. Listen, Deeply Listen Listening sounds basic enough, but so often we get wrapped up in a “me, me, me” attitude without even realizing it. Deeply listening offers a huge gift to your partner, where they can feel heard and seen. 12. Communicate Communicating positive things and in a positive way is important for the warmth and connection in your relationship (i.e. sharing the good news, expressing positive regard with kind eye contact and smiles). Slow down. Be present. Allow your partner to have an influence on you. Start-up a difficult conversation in a gentle way. Identify, acknowledge, and share your feelings. Check out assumptions, worries, and fears. 13. Be Grateful Being in a state of gratitude is thought to be one of the highest vibrational states. Cultivate gratitude. Develop a practice that helps you remember to be present to what is good and valuable in your life. 14. Keep It Fresh Change it up. Do something unexpected, Learn something new together. Change and learning give you and your partner an immediate feel-good neurochemical boost. Be creative and get outside of your comfort zone. MENTIONED: EPR 167: How To Be More Lovable In Relationship (podcast) ERP 168: How To Be More Lovable In Relationship – Part Two (podcast) Time Warrior, by Steve Chandler (book) Passionate Marriage, by David Schnarch (book) Intimacy & Desire, by David Schnarch (book) How to stop screwing yourself over by Mel Robbins (Ted Talk) Dr, Dan Seigal (website) Playback Theatre (website) Photo by Savs on Unsplash TRANSCRIPT: Click on this link to access the transcript for this episode: If you have a topic you would like me to discuss, please contact me by clicking on the “Ask Dr. Jessica Higgins” button here. Thank you so much for your interest in improving your relationship. Also, I would so appreciate your honest rating and review. Please leave a review by clicking here. Thank you! ❤ If you are interested in developing new skills to overcome relationship challenges, please consider taking the Connected Couple Program or engaging in relationship coaching work with me.

A Special Episode for the show, JSTS takes over the ISU Theatre Department for the first live show of the podcast.

I sit down with Jack Hradecky to discuss his transition to college theatre, theatre at ISU, Playback Theatre, and more.

Hani al Rstum is a Syrian living in Lebanon’s second city of Tripoli, and the conductor for the SADA playback theatre troupe. They engage with communities affected by serious conflict, with the goal of recognising and affirming life experiences, and opening dialogue. Playback draws on psychodrama therapy, and Hani himself is a psychotherapist. He “conducts” events to create a safe space for people to share experiences, and to begin to connect and empathise. The troupe is based in a social innovation hub on the frontline of one of Lebanon’s most notorious neighbourhood conflicts. It has also performed on-site in buildings with special connections to the war. Show notes: [02:10] Leaving Syria to study medicine. Watching as the revolution started and the war began to impact his his family. [06:15] Cross-border activism as the war deepened. Filming and work with international media. Early work with children suffering from traumatic stress disorders. [12:45] How playback theatre works, and Hani’s role as “conductor”. Holding the space for dialogue in heated and painful environments. [22:50] Beginnings of playback theatre in Lebanon, and first applications to inter-neighbourhood conflict in Tripoli. Using physical spaces with specific histories in fighting and symbolic meaning. [31:05] How it works when emotions are running very high. Having the right expectations for the community, and recognising leadership when it emerges in the moment. [38:50] Positive and negative experiences as a Syrian in Lebanon. Implications for his ability to play a peacebuilding role. [43:40] What drove Hani to lead this initiative. Working with communities as a survival mechanism amidst the loss and tragedy of the Syrian war. Doubts and fears going forward.

Amy Oestreicher shares an open and honest conversation about PTSD and living life with PTSD. She discusses the role of creativity in a way that is not often discussed. You’ll hear of some wonderful resources in books and more in this thoughtful and helpful discussion with host Mike Domitrz.   Links to Amy's book are: https://www.amazon.com/My-Beautiful-Detour-Unthinkable-Grateful/dp/1733138811/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&ref_=dbs_a_w_dp_1733138811   And all ebook and paperback versions are available at https://www.amyoes.com/mbd   * You are invited to join our community and conversations about each episode on FaceBook at https://www.facebook.com/MutuallyAmazingPodcast and join us on Twitter @CenterRespect or visit our website at http://www.MutuallyAmazingPodcast.com**     BIO of Amy Oestreicher:  Amy Oestreicher is an Audie Award-nominated PTSD peer-to-peer specialist, artist, author, writer for The Huffington Post, speaker for TEDx and RAINN, health advocate, award-winning actress, and playwright. As a survivor and “thriver” of multiple traumas, Amy eagerly shares the gifts of life’s “beautiful detours” her educational programming, writing, mixed media art, performance and inspirational speaking. Amy has headlined international conferences on leadership, entrepreneurship, women’s rights, mental health, disability, creativity, and domestic violence prevention. She is a SheSource Expert, a “Top Mental Health” writer for Medium, and a regular lifestyle, wellness, and arts contributor for over 70 notable online and print publications, and and her story has appeared on NBC’s TODAY, CBS, Cosmopolitan, Seventeen Magazine, Washington Post, Good Housekeeping, MSNBC, among others.   To celebrate her own “beautiful detour”, Amy created the #LoveMyDetour campaign, to help others cope in the face of unexpected events. Her passion for inclusion, equity and amplifying marginalized voices has earned her various honors, including a scholarship from the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor Professionals, the first annual SHERocks Herstory National Performing Artist Honoree, a United Way Community Helper award, and a National Sexual Education Grant honor. To creatively engage student advocacy efforts, Amy developed a trauma-informed program combining mental health education, sexual assault prevention, and Broadway Theatre for college campuses, organizations and conferences. She has designed a creative curriculum for “Detourist Resiliency,” an outreach program taken to schools, hospitals, and at-risk youth. She also has launched Detourist peer-led chapters on college campuses, Detourist creative arts workshops, and an online community to creatively fight stigma in society through storytelling. “Detourism” is also the subject of her TEDx Talk and upcoming book, My Beautiful Detour, available December 2017.   As the 2014 Eastern Regional Recipient of Convatec’s Great Comebacks Award and WEGO Health 2016 “Health Activist Hero” Finalist, and WeGO Health Expert, Amy is a passionate voice in the ostomy community, founding the online community Fearless Ostomates, speaking for National and Regional WOCN conferences, and writing for the official print publication of the UOAA. Her presentations on alternative medicine, and patient advocacy and healthcare have also been accepted to international conferences on patient care, internal medicine, medical trauma and therapeutic humor in hospitals. She has devised workshops for the Transformative Language Arts Network National Conference, the Eating Recovery Foundation, the 40th Anniversary New England Educational Opportunity Association Milestones Conference, the Annual National Mental Health America Conference,2016 American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress, and others. She was the 2016 keynote speaker for the Hawaii Pacific Rim International Conference on Diversity and Disability. and will be the featured keynote speaker at the 2018 International School of Social Work Conference in Ohio.   As a playwright, Amy has received awards and accolades for engaging her audiences in dynamic conversation on trauma’s effects on society, including Women Around Town’s “Women to Celebrate” 2014, BroadwayWorld “Best Theatre Debut,” Bistro Awards “New York Top Pick, and the “Singular Award” at the Sarasolo Theatre Festival, presented annually for a “performance that is exceptionally uncommon, groundbreaking, original and inventive.” Amy has written, directed and starred in a one-woman musical about her life, Gutless & Grateful, touring theatres, schools, festivals, conventions and organizations since it’s 2012 New York debut. Gutless & Grateful is currently being licensed to students across the country for academic projects and competitions. Amy spent Fall of 2015 participating as a playwright and performance artist in the National Musical Theatre Institute at the world-renowned Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, where she helped to develop the full-length multimedia ensemble piece, The Greeks Are Trying to Tell Us Something, and was a writer, actress, composer and set designer for “Playwrights and Librettists” – a festival of 27 30-minute plays in five days. Her original, full-length drama, Imprints, exploring the physical and psychological impact of trauma, premiered at the Producer’s Club in 2016, and is currently in development for a full New York production as Flicker and a Firestarter. Her short plays have been published by the Eddy Theatre Company and finalists in Manhattan Repertory Theatre’s Short Play Festival, as well as NYC Playwright’s Women in the Age of Drumpf. Her theatre education essays and monologues have been published in Creative Pedagogy journals, as part of a theatre curriculum for high school students in the Philippines, and as a teaching artist, she is a strong advocate for arts integration and education.   Amy’s collaboration with Beechwood Arts on the immersion salon, “Resilience and the Power of the Human Spirit”, has traveled around the world to health and arts facilities as a public installation, incorporating her monologues, art, writing and recipes to express the life-altering detours and ultimately the invaluable gifts of her resilient journey. Amy is also an active artist and teacher in the Jewish community, being honored by United Way in 2005 for her music programs at Hollander House, completing artist residencies at Art Kibbutz, and delivering “Hope, Resilience & Biblical Women” keynotes for synagogues and religious schools. After studying Theatre of the Oppressed in her studies at Hampshire College, she helped to train ACTSmart, a Playback Theatre troupe in Amherst, MA. She is also a passionate arts education advocate, a successful mixed media visual artist, a continuing education studio arts teacher, and an active member of the League of Professional Theatre Women, League for Advancement of New England Storytellers, Fairfield County Cultural Alliance, Alliance for Jewish Theatre, Theatre Artist Workshop, and several art guilds throughout Connecticut and New York.   Amy is currently developing a multimedia performance project incorporate her original music compositions with the oral histories of her grandmother, a holocaust survivor with musical director David Brunetti, and developing a new multidisciplinary solo musical based on herthird TEDx Talk this year: healing from trauma through the archetypal hero’s journey. She is also working on a full-length play with music, LEFTOVERS with director and dramaturge Susan Einhorn, based on her life after the surgical ICU. She is leading mixed media creativity and solo performance workshops to promote creativity as a mindset, an essential survival skill. Amy also offers creative coaching and consulting services help others navigate their own “life detours,” and prides herself most on ending each night with a gratitude list.   As the creator of Gutless & Grateful, her one-women autobiographical musical, Amy has toured theatres nationwide. She also premiered her drama, Imprints, at NYC Producers Club in May 2016, about how trauma affects the family as well as the victim.   Her #LoveMyDetour campaign helps others cope with unexpected events. “Detourism” is also the subject of her upcoming TEDx talk and book My Beautiful Detour.   LINKS: www.amyoes.com   Amy's Social Media: Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/amyoestr and facebook.com/lovemydetour Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/amyoes Or you can subscribe to G+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/106058010956085677457/posts Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/amyoes70/allspice-acrylics-a-celebration-of-life-and-beauti/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/AmyOes70 Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/amyoes stumbleupon: http://www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/amyoes700 Bloglovin: https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/amyoes-14356407 Twitter: @amyoes Instagram: @amyoes70   Link to R.A.I.N.N. (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network) at www.rainn.org   Books Amy Recommends: Amy’s Book: My Beautiful Detour New World Theatre’s “Solitary Voice: A Collection of Epic Monologues” Nevertheless She Persusted by Tanya Eby & 8 Others The Hero’s Journey by Joseph Campbell Waking the Tiger by Peter Levine and Ann Frederick The Courage to Heal by Laura Davis and Ellen Bass  The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van der Kolk MD and Sean Pratt    READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPTION of the EPISODE HERE (or download the pdf): **IMPORTANT: This podcast episode was transcribed by a 3rd party service and so errors can occur throughout the following pages: Mike:                       Welcome to the respect podcast. I'm your host, Mike Domitrz from mikespeaks.com, where we help organizations of all sizes, educational institutions, and the U.S. military create a culture of respect, and respect is exactly what we discuss on this show. So let's get started. This week's episode, we want to get right into it here 'cause you're going to be incredibly inspired by our guest's journey back to wholeness and reclaiming her voice using creativity as her lifeline. She gratefully discovered the upside of obstacles. Today Amy is a PTSD specialist, artist, author, Tedx, and Rain speaker, award-winning actress, a playwright, and mental health advocate. That is Amy Oestreicher. Thank you, Amy, so much for joining us. Amy:                         Thank you for having me. I'm excited to be here. Mike:                       Absolutely. And so we want to dive right into this. The show, obviously, is all about respect, but you bring a different perspective in that you talk about PTSD and trauma. And let's get right into that. So when people hear trauma and PTSD, what form, or does it matter, that you're referring to? Amy:                         Well, what I'm referring to is, there's trauma that comes from many setbacks and many unexpected twists and turns in my life that I didn't expect, that really didn't come to my realization until years and years later. So for PTSD, something can impact us that can completely change our lives overnight, and we might sit with that for a bit, and slowly we feel that something isn't right. I don't feel the same. And slowly those memories come to surface, and I found my way through piecing together those memories and finding healing through creativity. PTSD, for me, started, with being sexually abused by a teacher that I trusted. And an example of a symptom of PTSD is the freeze response, where you don't think anything has happened, and you kind of wake up and go about your life, and think everything's as you were, and suddenly something is off, disassociation, meaning the world is around you, and you're somewhere apart from it wondering what's going on. Amy:                         I did not say no or fight back, although my mind was clearly thinking those things, but I just froze. I saw myself as somewhere separate. And years later it would take a lot of work to kind of bring those memories to light and start to heal through remembering all of that. Mike:                       Well, one, I want to thank you for sharing your journey, your strength, your courage as a survivor. And I think this is an important topic because a lot of times when people hear freeze, they think that the natural human response is freeze or flight or fight. They tend to think, oh, most people flight or fight. They think that, and they forget that freeze is actually the most natural human reaction under stress in our DNA system as human beings, because back in the times of cave people, you did not fight the creature there was 20 times larger than you. Amy:                         Right, right. Mike:                       You either played dead, freeze, or you ran. Fight was the last thing you did. So a lot of times people hear it and they go, "Why didn't you fight?" Because it's the last innate response that the human body is likely to have because naturally it's to freeze or to run. And in certain situations, running's not an option. Child teacher, you can definitely feel like, I don't have that option. So to freeze is the natural thing to occur, and I think too often people don't realize that. Amy:                         Exactly. Mike:                       And so I think for anybody listening, thinking that, saying, "Well, why didn't the person fighter? Or what ..." Those are not innately in our DNA. So the body reacts under stress to its most innate natural things that it thinks it should do, that saved it over thousands of years of human being in existence. And that's what can happen in that moment. Is that true? Amy:                         It's true, and I love to bring up an amazing resource that I found that, that changed my perspective on the freeze response. It's called ... It's a book called Waking the Tiger by Peter Levine. And what caught me, and what you brought up is, Peter Levine spent a lot of time just studying animals in the wild, and he saw that a gazelle when it's kind of running free it ... And a predator attacks it, it just plays dead. And then once the attack is over, it will just get up and just run and run and run and discharge that natural energy and restore its homeostasis and be back to normal. And Peter Levine was like, "Well, why can't humans do that? Why did we get stuck in that?" And, well, we have a brain, and we think ourselves, we overthink ourselves, and we stay frozen in that nestle, that bunches of energy, when really we just need to discharge that energy like the gazelle that is running through the wild. And we need to find a healthy container to get that capsulated energy out and bring it to light. Amy:                         Eventually through talking about it and sharing it or whatever feels like a release to you, but he really, Peter Levine really took his cues from these animals in the wild that have this freeze response in them, and they know how to know from it. And I think the community really needs to understand what goes on in the freeze response to really support survivors and understand that this may be all tucked in and it needs to be brought to light. Mike:                       Yeah. And one of the problems that communities can put on survivors at times is trying to understand why the survivor did what they did, instead of not understanding, the issue is what the predator did, not with the survivor did or did not do. To focus on whether the survivor fought back or run is missing the point. It's all about what the predator did. Now we need to be supportive of the survivor so that they can, like you said, be able to live that life, to be able to live a full life. Amy:                         Right. Or, "Why didn't you tell someone right away?" Your words often come last. Again, It's that you think of a kaleidoscope of ... I am an artist, so I've been creatively ... colors coming together, red anxiety or anger or fear, and the person just does not have those words. I mean, it takes time. But the, I think the important first step is the community needs to be so informed of what the freeze response is and be there for their survivors and believe them. Mike:                       Yes, well that's essential. And it is interesting because, depending on where PTSD has been discussed, people treat it differently. Military PTSD tends to be treated differently than sexual violence PTSD that's a result of sexual violence, because the military, and I get to work with the military all over the world, we thankfully are grateful from our military. Not everybody is, but a lot of people are. So when they look at the military, they go, "There's a hero who is struggling with something that happened because they sacrificed for our country." And so therefore there's empathy, there's understanding for that person. Yet there's not always the same toward sexual violence survivors. They don't have that same. Why do you think that is? Amy:                         Well, you have to remember, too, that it took a long time for those stories to be told as well. My grandmother was a Holocaust survivor, and I think about how she coped just coming right out of the war before PTSD was even a word. I think for survivors of sexual violence the encouraging part is it now is becoming talked about much more than when it happened to me. And I say keep going with that. But there are more blurry lines with that, especially with what's shown to us on the media, with messages we've gotten from the past from culture and things like that. And now we're all trying to kind of make a new game plan. But it is kind of a fuzzy area because things that have seemed okay to other people in the past, well, now these survivors' stories are being told, and we see that, you know when this happened, this was not okay. Amy:                         So I think it's our job, to be honest, everyone's job to make those boundaries just as clear that, just as PTSD is an atrocity with certain communities, it is an atrocity with survivors of sexual violence. I'm also a survivor of PTSD from almost 30 surgeries from another unexpected medical-related crisis. And I dealt with the same thing, that once I was done with all my surgeries and stitched up and ready to go, doctors thought, well, the physical part of me was healed, so why couldn't I just move on to the rest of my life? Whenever we encounter any kind of change in our life, where our life seems to just twist overnight, we need that support from those around us to know that it's going to take time for us to process that change, and we need to talk about it. Mike:                       Yeah. And that's so important. And that goes into you ... In your work you talk about sharing your story and why somebody sharing their story's so important. Can you share for our listeners, our viewers, why that is such an important journey? Amy:                         Yes. I didn't realize how important it was. My situation was very atypical, I guess. I guess unexpected, like anyone else would, but I was 18, and just a blood clot on caused me to go into many, many surgeries that changed my life overnight. And because of medical circumstances, I was very isolated for almost a decade. And so I didn't really have many people to talk to. I had my doctors, and I had my loving parents, and that's all. But slowly I started to write a little bit, and again, another book that inspired me was Joseph Campbell learning about, uh, the archetypal hero's journey, and I actually found my way through this dark, unanticipated chapter in my life through tracing Joseph Campbell's steps to what makes a hero in society and how they have to go away for a while and then come back transformed. I mean, it's in every Pixar movie, the heroes or in your Star Wars. And so I kind of used that as my own map. And so slowly I was typing. PART 1 OF 3 ENDS [00:12:04] Amy:                         Use that as my own map, and so, slowly, I was typing and typing to kind of uncover what I had been through for myself. That was only a very initial step because this was still all me realizing these things for myself. Then, years later, I finally was able to share it through theater, which I had always loved doing as a kid and which I thought was going to be my life. I ended up making that story arc into a one-woman musical that I've been touring since 2012, but it's very funny. That was the first time I'd ever shared anything about what I had been through, and in the very first opening venue in New York, I said one line about the sexual abuse. And it was very difficult for me. I didn't know whether it fit in with everything else, and then, over the years, as I became more and more comfortable with that, talking about it, more people that came to see my show came up to me and said, you know, "Something similar had happened to me." And I'd started the conversation. Amy:                         And now, I've expanded on the show, where I do go into that a lot and the healing that came come from it and the community that can come, so, I guess, writing my show and performing it was an example, for me, of how just planting the seed of just starting your story and getting to share it and share it and talk to other people, it can make you move on or go to the next step that you need to go to. Mike:                       And you're a big advocate of using creativity in that process, as you've explained. Amy:                         Yeah. Mike:                       So, yeah, you created the show, a one-woman, one-person show, that really has a powerful impact. If somebody's listening, going, "I'm just not creative. I am not an artist. I am not a performer- Amy:                         No, no, no- Mike:                       -I get- Amy:                         -don't say that. Mike:                       I know. I know, but that's what people are going to thing, so- Amy:                         I know. Mike:                       -we need to address that. I think there's a misunderstanding what creativity means, so can you explain what we mean by "creativity" and why- Amy:                         Totally. Mike:                       -it's so important and can be such a great resource in the process? Amy:                         Yes. Creativity is really just a mindset. I couldn't talk for many months after my surgeries because I had all these things going on, tubes in and out of me, and then I couldn't talk at times where I felt too shocked at everything going around me to even say a word. And I missed singing, and I wanted to go back to that. But that's when I started ... I picked up a paint brush by accident in one of the hospitals, started just painting, but by creativity is really just a way to see things differently. So, it means just taking a walk outside, taking a breath, looking at the tree and finding grounding by a tree in a new way. It means cooking a recipe you've always loved. It means putting a little bit of that locked-up energy that you'll ... that passion that was always there before all this that can never be taken away by any kind of trauma. It just gets frozen like a gazelle. You're playing dead. Amy:                         Creativity is a way to unlock that clenched-up energy and just bring it forward, and don't worry about the final steps of "Well, how am I gonna tell about what happened to me?" Just focus on that, those uncomfortable feelings you might feel in the freeze response, which is the anxiety, the pain, the fear. Feel that energy and see if there's a color. Start with that and see it in the sky or something and really just ... I got to say one more time, before you start working about how we're gonna show it to the community, just focus on getting out that energy for yourself and seeing that you were in there all along. You just got bring it to life somehow. Mike:                       Yeah. And you can choose to never share it with the community. It could be your process for your own journey. Amy:                         Exactly. Mike:                       And that's what I love about how you're describing creativity. I have always remembered. I was speaking to a doctor, and I work with a doctor who's both general practitioner and also holistic, so both sides of the equation. Mike:                       And he was once saying to me, "Hey, Mike, on a scale of one to three in how you feel the world [inaudible 00:16:49] the world, you're a three, very high, like, off-the-charts three. You feel everything in the world, which means you're a high creative," and I jumped back and went "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I don't do art. I don't write music. I love to sing, but I'm horrible at it. Like, I do not have artistic traits." And he went, "What? You get on stage and you share with people your thoughts and ideas. That's a very creative process in how that works and how you put the thoughts together and how you connect, and you're a massive problem-solver. That's what you love to do." So, that's all creativity, so I think- Amy:                         Oh, yeah. Mike:                       -for people listening, pause and go, "Are you a problem-solver? Because if you are, that's a high-level form of creativity. You're trying to creatively come up with a solution when you're problem-solving." Amy:                         Exactly. Yeah. It just means taking an unexpected turn and saying, "All right. I'll go with it and see what happens." And we never know what's coming next, so if you have creativity, that is your best resource because then you can just say, "Okay, unexpected twist, I'm gonna just follow you and use my magic reassembling creativity problem-solving skills to figure out whatever comes next." Mike:                       Yeah. And it's very natural, as a Buddhist approach, that we let go of the outcome, right, that we be present in the journey, let go of the outcome because when you're outcome-focused, it actually kills your creativity because- Amy:                         And [inaudible 00:18:11] the outcome. Mike:                       -you're creating pressure. Right. You're saying there has to be this end result versus actually just being free to the possibilities. That's creativity. Amy:                         Exactly. Mike:                       It is freedom of possibility, so I love that conversation. Amy:                         Open mind. Mike:                       Yes. Yeah, exactly. How do you think we help society as a whole have a universal empathy when we can't relate to what somebody else has been through? Somebody hears that and goes, "Well, why didn't they do this?" Or "Why didn't they do that?" And what's happening is they're watching through their lenses. They're thinking through their lenses and thinking, "I would've done this. At least, I think I would've. So, how in the world did they do that?" How do we help people understand that empathy means, "I don't think about it how I would've done it. I think about what they must have been going through, and I will never- Amy:                         Right. Mike:                       -fully understand it 'cause I wasn't there, but at least I'm trying to be compassionate from that viewpoint?" Amy:                         Right. I mean, I come from an acting background, and the first thing I remember learning is awareness without judgment. We're aware of everyone else around us, of everything else around us, but we don't judge. But, with these circumstances, I think, honestly, having been through it and now supporting other survivors of violence, I really think we all need to up our game and, again, be educated on PTSD and the various responses that can only not ... not only affect the survivors themselves, but the people that care about them. It can affect other communities and things they're going through. I mean, trauma both a universal and historical and ... we'll keep going because life changes. So, I think we're all better off if we understand what can happen, and we're ... as humans, we're all always going to think, "Well, I would've done this," or "I would've said 'No,'" or "I would've ...." Amy:                         I think, again, we can have those thoughts, but at the end of the day, we really have to understand that this is trauma. And I want to be open to whatever this person is sharing with me or chooses to share. Mike:                       Yeah. Amy:                         It's having respect. Mike:                       That's just it. It's treating everybody with respect and dignity, and in the wake of sexual violence, sometimes there's destructive coping strategies that show themselves- Amy:                         Exactly. Mike:                       -for a survivor and that can amplify symptoms of PTSD. And you used the word "victimization." Couple things. Those listening, when we say "destructive," what do we mean by that 'cause they might understand what that means and how do you help somebody who's experiencing that? Amy:                         So, destructive coping mechanisms. I'm gonna go back to that energy that survivors feel that has not been discharged. When we carry a secret, [inaudible 00:21:14] are like poison. They burdensome. They weigh down, and so those can often be coped with in anything from drugs and alcohol to other symptoms to any other way that we can find to become numb, whether it's scrolling up and down on Facebook all day. It's any way that we are trying to ignore that energy and kind of just close off and not deal with those things, and it takes a lot of bravery and a lot of courage to really look at that energy for what it is and maybe even remember a bit of what happened and how you felt. But it's a very important part of the process because all those destructive coping mechanisms ... really, it's about energy. Think of that energy that the gazelle wishes they could be running off and around with. It's that energy we need to get out, that we feel like we have to close down. Mike:                       Well, and I want to step in there because I, in this line of work ... and I'm sure you run into the same thing. People come up to me and go, "I have someone close to me in my life who either I know or I highly suspect is a survivor of sexual violence, but they have not told anyone. And I can see the destructive coping strategies in their life. How do I help them?" And what happens when they ask that question is there's two approaches. There's the "How do I help them? How do I support them?" And there's the "How do I fix them?" Which are two very different approaches. Amy:                         Yeah. [inaudible 00:23:02] true. Mike:                       Help and support is what people need. Being fixed is never gonna work with a human being. You don't fix people. I've made that mistake of trying to be a fixer in my life over [inaudible 00:23:12]. There were times, where I looked back, when I was trying to fix the person versus be supportive of the person, so how do we, instead of trying to fix them, how do we provide support when it's ... they're not asking for it? They have not come forward. I mean, verbally, asking for it. They're not outwardly saying, "Will you support me? Will you help me?" They haven't even told anyone that they are struggling with this. How do you help and support that person? Amy:                         And, honestly, they're role is very, very different because I think it's human instinct to want to fix people. When we see people struggling, we want to reach out, and we want to help them so badly. Surprisingly, the best way to help and support is not such a hands-on, fixing approach as you might have wanted. It's to really just ... being there as- PART 2 OF 3 ENDS [00:24:04] Amy:                         It's really just being there as a listener, as a gentle, compassionate listener. And if you need to say, "I believe you" ... It's taking in the words they're saying or whatever they're giving you. Mike:                       Yeah, because they might not tell you. They might not be in a believe you moment, because they might not tell you. And that's why saying that I'm here for you. If anything ever has happened or ever does, that's the language we teach our audiences. If anybody ever has or does. That way you're opening the door to possibilities of what could've already happened or what could happen in the future. It's so important for the person to understand, I'm here for you. And then the tough part is, you have to be patient. Amy:                         Right. Mike:                       Because they may not want to tell you for ten years, and that's their journey. It's not your right to invade and change their journey on them. Or ever. Or maybe they want to tell you right then, but it's their journey which means you have to be patient and understand this isn't about me finding out, or me being told. It's about them and being present for them. Amy:                         Yeah. And for those of you that are listening going, "That's it?" I get it, it's so simple and it's so difficult to just leave it at that, just be there. But it's that support. I always go back to theater and military veterans that the Greek plays of Sophocles about war and all those things. Those were originally meant for veterans of the war to come in and share their story to the community to get that community compassion, to have people know what they were going through. And there are other rituals that we still do today like dancing and group singing and all those things that show that our need for community is so important. So, survivors of sexual violence, if you feel kind of that no one in the community understands you, please know that coming back to the community is just such an important part of healing, even if it's scary. And for those that see these people struggling, just welcome them in and don't ask questions, don't demand answers. Just, we need to stay welcome with open arms. Mike:                       I love that you pointed out "Don't ask questions." Because that sounds like you're prying and you're investigating, which can very quickly turn into ... whether intentional or not, unintended victim-blaming is what can happen there. Amy:                         Right. Mike:                       So just listening is so important. Now, a great resource out there that you speak for, you're a RAINN speaker, is RAINN. Which for anybody listening is Rape Abuse and Incest National Network, RAINN.org. They also have an eight hundred number on their website, and you can call them and it's actually 656-HOPE, I think, is the eight hundred number. But you can call, you can email, and they'll hook you up with resources locally that are confidential and twenty-four seven. They can tell you what those are, but they can also just start by being there for you. It's a great organization. What are some additional resources that you feel are vital for survivors to know if somebody's listening right now and is experiencing PTSD? Amy:                         Right. So, first of all, I can't say enough good things about RAINN. They will connect you to anything ... and anonymously. I know a lot of people who are worried about saying who they are or saying who they feel the perpetrator was. You don't have to worry about that. They will take you wherever you are right now. Some books that really helped me again were Waking the Tiger by Peter Levine. He started this whole kind of therapy with the body called somatic experiencing, which is all about using breath work to really feel your body again. And another book that helped me understand is called The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk. But in terms of online resources, PTSD.org, there are so many resources there. Mike:                       So you just said that's PTSD.org? Amy:                         Yes. Mike:                       Okay, I just want to make sure we have all that on our show notes, for anybody who's listening so they can find that there. Amy:                         Right. And again, any of these places will connect you to someone ... Oh, no, that's not even there anymore. Oh my God. I will have to send you a new link for that. I'm sorry about that. Mike:                       Which link are you referring to? Amy:                         I was actually referring to PTS- Mike:                       Oh, yes, you're right, I see that now. There's nothing there. So that's okay, we'll have the link to RAINN- Amy:                         I will get you- Mike:                       -and we'll have links to all the books you've brought up, we'll have that in the show notes. Let's get into some more books here that you recommend for people. One is your own, your book, My Beautiful Detour. Another one is New World Theater Solitary Voice: A collection of epic monologues. And then you have Nevertheless We Persisted by Tanya Eby and others. If you want to dive in, why those three books? Obviously we'll start with yours, My Beautiful Detour. Amy:                         That's on pre-order now, I'm very excited for that because it is the whole story of a long-winded detour and lots of PTSD, where I felt very isolated and felt like no one understands me, I can't reach out for help, who would get this? But then how all this creativity ... and I say "creativity" in this general term of a mindset, kind of figuring this out as I went along ... how that really helped me along my journey. And eventually how I was able to reach out. I talk about being a detourist, where you see a detour in the path and you find a little creativity and find your way through. So besides talking about my story and how I healed, I also have a lot of really good plans for when life crashes over night and you need to find a way out again. So, I hope it's helpful. Mike:                       Absolutely. Well, I appreciate that. It's in a pre-order so it's still on its way, but people can get it now, so as soon as it comes out. And then, New World Theater Solitary Voice: A collection of epic monologues. What about that one? Amy:                         Well, again, I listed these because, again, the monologue that I wrote for this is actually how I originally discovered I was sexually abused, by picking up a book on a bookshelf, which is really the important resource that I wanted to bring up called The Courage to Heal, Laura Davis, and I'll have to ... The Courage to Heal really saved my life. It's a workbook for survivors of sexual violence and since then there have been editions for their caretakers to fill out with the survivors. There have been many recent versions, but I can't say enough about the book, The Courage to Heal. So, this book that just came out has a monologue where I talk about that first time that I take that up. Amy:                         And then this last, Nevertheless We Persisted, is actually a collection. It was nominated for an Audie Award this spring of monologues and stories about finding a voice in total darkness. So I hope those performances are very inspiring, as well. Mike:                       No, I appreciate that. And your book and your stories, you're getting the messages out there. Now, the one book that you just mentioned, The Courage to Heal, if somebody's looking for that, there's two different versions by completely different authors. There's How to Overcome Sexual Abuse and Childhood Trauma. There's also A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse. Which one were you referencing? Amy:                         Right. So I was referencing the one that originally changed my life by Laura Davis and Ellen Bass. Mike:                       Got it, the Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse, okay. Amy:                         Right. Mike:                       Just so our listeners are hearing, I want to make sure we give them the right one. And we'll have that in the show notes, we're going to have all these in the show notes. Amy:                         Yes. Mike:                       So I want to thank you so much, Amy. Amy:                         Thank you. Mike:                       For everyone listening, this is Amy Oestriecher. Amy:                         Hi. Mike:                       Our show notes will have all of the links to Amy, 'cause she gave us a lot for social media. All these books, I'm going to have it all there so you can find it all there. Remember you can also jump in this discussion on Facebook, we have a discussion group called The RESPECT Podcast discussion group, jump in there on the conversation, subscribe on iTunes. We love it if you leave a review, too, that always helps. So, Amy, thank you so much for joining us. Amy:                         Thank you. Thank you. Mike:                       Thank you for joining us for this episode of The RESPECT Podcast, which was sponsored by The DATE SAFE Project at datesafeproject.org. And remember, you can always find me at mikespeaks.com. PART 3 OF 3 ENDS [00:33:25]

"Creativity is the heart of everything". A longer episode of B-Side Stories with Claire Hewitt and Lee Rutene from Alpha Omega playback theatre, talking to Sadie Coe about the joy in storytelling. Claire loves creating spaces where people can find their voice through play, through her company Igniting the Creative Spark. One of her many projects is Alpha Omega, and in the second half of the episode actor and paraolympian Lee Rutene talks about his passion for disability issues and about the healing power of telling stories.

Duration: 17 mins Ahead of their upcoming performance this weekend titled Does It Matter?, we spoke with Michael Cheng, artistic director of Tapestry Playback Theatre, on his journey with the company, and the unique aspects of the playback theatre form... The post Podcast 25: Tapestry Playback Theatre appeared first on ArtsEquator.

Look out…up ahead…A DETOUR! This week, on Laughbox, I have the great pleasure of talking with Amy Oestreicher. She’s funny, she’s talented, and she knows about the detours in life. She shares her story and how she’s learned to shift mindset and be more resilient. I think you’ll enjoy the interview…she’s VERY high energy! A little more on Amy… Amy Oestreicher is a PTSD peer-to-peer specialist, artist, author, writer for The Huffington Post, speaker for TEDx and RAINN, health advocate, award-winning actress, and playwright. As a survivor and “thriver” of multiple traumas, Amy eagerly shares the gifts of life’s “beautiful detours” her educational programming, writing, mixed media art, performance and inspirational speaking.  Amy has headlined international conferences on leadership, entrepreneurship, women’s rights, mental health, disability, creativity, and domestic violence prevention. She is a SheSource Expert, a “Top Mental Health” writer for Medium, and a regular lifestyle, wellness, and arts contributor for over 70 notable online and print publications, and her story has appeared on NBC’s TODAY, CBS, Cosmopolitan, Seventeen Magazine, Washington Post, Good Housekeeping, MSNBC, among others. To celebrate her own “beautiful detour”, Amy created the #LoveMyDetour campaign, to help others cope in the face of unexpected events.  Her passion for inclusion, equity and amplifying marginalized voices has earned her various honors, including a scholarship from the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor Professionals, the first annual SHERocks Herstory National Performing Artist Honoree, a United Way Community Helper award, and a National Sexual Education Grant honor. To creatively engage student advocacy efforts, Amy developed a trauma-informed program combining mental health education, sexual assault prevention, and Broadway Theatre for college campuses, organizations and conferences.  She has designed a creative curriculum for “Detourist Resiliency,” an outreach program taken to schools, hospitals, and at-risk youth.  She also has launched Detourist peer-led chapters on college campuses, Detourist creative arts workshops, and an online community to creatively fight stigma in society through storytelling. “Detourism” is also the subject of her TEDx Talk and upcoming book, My Beautiful Detour, available December 2017. As the 2014 Eastern Regional Recipient of Convatec’s Great Comebacks Award and WEGO Health 2016 “Health Activist Hero” Finalist, and WeGO Health Expert, Amy is a passionate voice in the ostomy community, founding the online community Fearless Ostomates, speaking for National and Regional WOCN conferences, and writing for the official print publication of the UOAA.  Her presentations on alternative medicine and patient advocacy and healthcare have also been accepted to international conferences on patient care, internal medicine, medical trauma and therapeutic humor in hospitals.  She has devised workshops for the Transformative Language Arts Network National Conference, the Eating Recovery Foundation, the 40th Anniversary New England Educational Opportunity Association Milestones Conference, the Annual National Mental Health America Conference,2016 American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress, and others. She was the 2016 keynote speaker for the Hawaii Pacific Rim International Conference on Diversity and Disability. and will be the featured keynote speaker at the 2018 International School of Social Work Conference in Ohio. As a playwright, Amy has received awards and accolades for engaging her audiences in dynamic conversation on trauma’s effects on society, including Women Around Town’s “Women to Celebrate” 2014, BroadwayWorld “Best Theatre Debut,”  Bistro Awards “New York Top Pick, and the “Singular Award” at the Sarasolo Theatre Festival, presented annually for a “performance that is exceptionally uncommon, groundbreaking, original and inventive.” Amy has written, directed and starred in a one-woman musical about her life, Gutless & Grateful, touring theatres, schools, festivals, conventions and organizations since it’s 2012 New York debut.  Gutless & Grateful is currently being licensed to students across the country for academic projects and competitions.  Amy spent Fall of 2015 participating as a playwright and performance artist in the National Musical Theatre Institute at the world-renowned Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, where she helped to develop the full-length multimedia ensemble piece, The Greeks Are Trying to Tell Us Something, and was a writer, actress, composer and set designer for “Playwrights and Librettists” – a festival of 27 30-minute plays in five days.  Her original, full-length drama, Imprints, exploring the physical and psychological impact of trauma, premiered at the Producer’s Club in 2016, and is currently in development for a full New York production as Flicker and a Firestarter.  Her short plays have been published by the Eddy Theatre Company and finalists in Manhattan Repertory Theatre’s Short Play Festival, as well as NYC Playwright’s Women in the Age of Trump.  Her theatre education essays and monologues have been published in Creative Pedagogy journals, as part of a theatre curriculum for high school students in the Philippines, and as a teaching artist, she is a strong advocate for arts integration and education. Amy’s collaboration with Beechwood Arts on the immersion salon, “Resilience and the Power of the Human Spirit”, has traveled around the world to health and arts facilities as a public installation, incorporating her monologues, art, writing and recipes to express the life-altering detours and ultimately the invaluable gifts of her resilient journey.  Amy is also an active artist and teacher in the Jewish community, being honored by United Way in 2005 for her music programs at Hollander House, completing artist residencies at Art Kibbutz, and delivering “Hope, Resilience & Biblical Women” keynotes for synagogues and religious schools.  After studying Theatre of the Oppressed in her studies at Hampshire College, she helped to train ACTSmart, a Playback Theatre troupe in Amherst, MA.  She is also a passionate arts education advocate, a successful mixed media visual artist, a continuing education studio arts teacher, and an active member of the League of Professional Theatre Women, League for Advancement of New England Storytellers, Fairfield County Cultural Alliance, Alliance for Jewish Theatre, Theatre Artist Workshop, and several art guilds throughout Connecticut and New York.   Amy is currently developing a multimedia performance project incorporate her original music compositions with the oral histories of her grandmother, a holocaust survivor with musical director David Brunetti, and developing a new multidisciplinary solo musical based on er second TEDx Talk this year: healing from trauma through the archetypal hero’s journey.  She is also working on a full-length play with music, LEFTOVERS with director and dramaturge Susan Einhorn, based on her life after the surgical ICU.  She is leading mixed media creativity and solo performance workshops to promote creativity as a mindset, an essential survival skill.  Amy also offers creative coaching and consulting services help others navigate their own “life detours,” and prides herself most on ending each night with a gratitude list.  

Sarah McSorley from AIN London discusses Playback Theatre with Plays of our Lives Founder, Victoria Howden and co-director, Jane Beavis.

Playback Theatre is improvised theatre where audience members share personal stories and actors immediately play back those stories on stage. Playback Theatre is musical, dramatic, creative, insightful and contrary to popular belief, funny. Playback Theatre Sydney actor and trainer Thanassis Boulis talks to us about what it is, how it works, and the differences between […]

Virginia Murphy explains the soul mending experience that is Playback Memphis. Playback Theatre is a unique collaboration — the audience shares a personal story or moment, then watches as Playback recreates that story with artistic shape and coherence. Playback brings stories to life and life to communities. Creative, heal thyself. Playback Memphis Playback Facebook Playback Youtube