Learn Skills for Embodied and Transformative Storytelling

Join us to explore the many layers of story and what makes them unique, powerful and transformative in this five-part series.

Five Sessions of Transformative Stories in Playback Theatre

10 AM – 1 PM at the Susquehanna Waldorf School in Marietta, PA.

Register and mark your calendar for:

• Oct. 5 – The Body and the Visceral Story
• Oct. 12 – Archetypes and the Personal Hero Story
• Oct. 26 – Serendipity and the Transformative Story (Columbia, PA)
• Nov. 9 – Dialogue and the Interpersonal Story
• Nov. 23 – Change and the Cultural-Political Story

What We’ll Do 

• Learn the basics: Over 5 Saturdays, we will work with “long” Playback Theatre forms that build reflective, embodied listening to portray and honor each unique story, building empathy and storytelling skills applicable to many other situations, personal and professional.

• Connect to your body: Each class begins with warmups that help you access your somatic intelligence and unique improvisational instruments of body and voice for playing and hearing stories of those around us, with all activities “at choice.”

• Make connections: We build an intentional space for diverse stories to help us address those that appear both lighter and more challenging. Participants consistently report connections within the class as they hear, tell and play each others’ stories highlighting their uniqueness and shared experiences.

• Contribute to community: Through interactive activities, participants learn to honor its tellers and audiences, bringing out the essence of stories that help people feel validated and empowered to take action in new ways. To this end, a willingness to listen and serve each person’s unique story is vital to our success.

Each session explores this improvisational art practiced worldwide in new tools for creating embodied expressions that honor the deep notes of each story.

What Is It? 

If you’re new to it, Playback Theatre is an original form of improvisational theatre developed nearly 50 years ago by Jonathan Fox and Jo Salas in New York. In a performance, audience members tell stories and watch them played back on the spot. Playback is performed in five continents, dozens of languages and more than 70 companies across North America.  

In Playback Theatre stories take a new life on stage as an audience becomes connected in a community dialogue that is both uniquely personal and powerfully universal. Performances and workshops can be a catalyst for new personal insights and group connections in a variety of venues. Playback Theatre is not just witty entertainment and heartfelt storytelling, it’s the activation of our common empathy.  

Who is this for? 

Introduction to Playback Theatre is designed for those curious to learn the art of Playback Theatre, its applicability to embodied empathy skills and even considering joining the River Crossing Playback troupe in future seasons. No prior experience is necessary; we find people who resonate with this art are those both creatively curious and passionate about community (or vice versa!). 

Invitation to Invest 

Participating in the series invites your commitment of time, energy, and openness to developing new skills, and working with others through embodiment practices. You’ll also be invited to meet outside of class to continue the practice and learning.

Instructor

Chris Fitz is the primary trainer-facilitator of the course in collaboration with other members of River Crossing Playback Theatre. Chris is the troupe’s founder and artistic director, having trained, performed and led workshops in improvisational arts since 2003, in Pennsylvania, Germany, Washington, DC, and across the US. He holds an M.A. in International Peace & Development Studies from the Universitat Jaume I (Castellon, Spain) and a B.A. in International Conflict Resolution from Hampshire College (Amherst, MA).

When You Arrive

Arrival: 10 AM – 1 PM, Please arrive by 9:55 AM so we can start promptly at 10 AM (doors will be locked thereafter, requiring a call). Proceed down the hallway of the school to the Music Room on the right.

Location: Susquehanna Waldorf School is located at 15 West Walnut Street, Marietta, PA, accessible via Lancaster bus route 17. Parking is available in the adjacent school lot or on the street (free). West Walnut Street is a one-way street going west.

Dress: comfortable clothing. If you are sick, please notify us below. If you are getting over a cold or at risk, etc., masks are encouraged.

What to bring: Bring water or something to drink, and if you’d like to bring snacks to share, there will be a break time where we share conversation and light refreshments. 

After party?! 

We often gather at Molly’s Courtyard Cafe next to the school for reflections and connections, so join us and bring a few bucks for some yummy avocado toast, coffee, or smoothies if you like.

Questions? Text/call Colleen at 717-487-1221 if you need to get in after the doors are locked.