Playback Theatre: Improvisational Theatre
Chelsea Jackson
Mrs. Anna Broussard
Speech 391 5T
April 17, 2016
Playback Theatre Research Paper
Playback Theatre is a form of interactive improvisational theater performed in six continents. Playback Theatre picked up momentum when it was first created in the 1970s and quickly spread to other countries. This form of improvisational theater that has a specific stage layout and performance styles, and is powered by social interactions. The form of improvisation can be used in many contexts, such as bringing about social dialogue and changes. Playback theatre “promotes the right for any voice to be heard.”
Jonathon Fox and Jo Salas are the co-founders of the original Playback Theatre Company that open in 1975 in New York. Fox was inspired …show more content…
Actors sit on boxes or chairs with the audience facing them, the Teller and Conductor sit on one side, and the Musician(s) sit on the opposite side.
The School of Playback Theatre UK states that playback theatre is "Inviting personal stories from the audience, and re-enacting them with artistry and respect, Playback Theatre has the power to enable dialogue, generate empathy, and build bridges of understanding between people.”
This form of improvisational theatre is performed in a ritualized process, actors use mime, music and spoken scenes to reenact the narrative story of the teller. They begin with a theme and the stories follow the theme presented, but sometimes no theme is presented to the audience and they create the underlying bases of the performances as show continues. Then, the Teller begins their interview by deciding which actor plays them, and perhaps assigned the other actors. The actors then stand and the story is told by the Teller, then the Conductor will say “Lets watch.” This is the cue for the actors to set up and to start the enactment of the story using different types of artistic formats and theatrical possibilities. All while trying to present the heart and essence of the story of the Teller. Music may play to set the tone or ambience of the story. When, done performing the actors will give acknowledgement to the Teller by looking at them. The conductor then facilitates the closure …show more content…
Two terms, “Fluid sculptures” and “Pairs”, were created to reflect on the development of brief moments. As, the development of the form continued new vocabulary was created. “Chorus”, and “Story”, also known as, “Free Form” or “Scenes” were added to the terms “Fluid Sculptures” and “Pairs.” These are universal terms used within the communities, known as the, classical performance forms. Vocabulary varies between companies and types of performance forms vary as well. Each company has their own set of house rules, but every company follows the
Mrs. Anna Broussard
Speech 391 5T
April 17, 2016
Playback Theatre Research Paper
Playback Theatre is a form of interactive improvisational theater performed in six continents. Playback Theatre picked up momentum when it was first created in the 1970s and quickly spread to other countries. This form of improvisational theater that has a specific stage layout and performance styles, and is powered by social interactions. The form of improvisation can be used in many contexts, such as bringing about social dialogue and changes. Playback theatre “promotes the right for any voice to be heard.”
Jonathon Fox and Jo Salas are the co-founders of the original Playback Theatre Company that open in 1975 in New York. Fox was inspired …show more content…
Actors sit on boxes or chairs with the audience facing them, the Teller and Conductor sit on one side, and the Musician(s) sit on the opposite side.
The School of Playback Theatre UK states that playback theatre is "Inviting personal stories from the audience, and re-enacting them with artistry and respect, Playback Theatre has the power to enable dialogue, generate empathy, and build bridges of understanding between people.”
This form of improvisational theatre is performed in a ritualized process, actors use mime, music and spoken scenes to reenact the narrative story of the teller. They begin with a theme and the stories follow the theme presented, but sometimes no theme is presented to the audience and they create the underlying bases of the performances as show continues. Then, the Teller begins their interview by deciding which actor plays them, and perhaps assigned the other actors. The actors then stand and the story is told by the Teller, then the Conductor will say “Lets watch.” This is the cue for the actors to set up and to start the enactment of the story using different types of artistic formats and theatrical possibilities. All while trying to present the heart and essence of the story of the Teller. Music may play to set the tone or ambience of the story. When, done performing the actors will give acknowledgement to the Teller by looking at them. The conductor then facilitates the closure …show more content…
Two terms, “Fluid sculptures” and “Pairs”, were created to reflect on the development of brief moments. As, the development of the form continued new vocabulary was created. “Chorus”, and “Story”, also known as, “Free Form” or “Scenes” were added to the terms “Fluid Sculptures” and “Pairs.” These are universal terms used within the communities, known as the, classical performance forms. Vocabulary varies between companies and types of performance forms vary as well. Each company has their own set of house rules, but every company follows the