#playbacktheatre

[hexaflexageek]

Something new for #Byker A friend is running an #improvisation #theatre course in #playbacktheatre skills from October. The taster session is free. The course is cheap. I did a taster session before the summer which was very good indeed and loads of fun. Looking forward to being able to take the course. #newcastlelife #newcastleupontyne #Newcastle #newcastlephotographer #acting #drama #performance #performanceart #workshop #community #NE6 #goodlife #positive #goodthings #excited #theatreskills #training #dramatic #creative #playback (at Byker) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn8wrn5g40R/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1gynt63qvd6zx

[hexaflexageek]

Something new for #Byker A friend is running an #improvisation #theatre course in #playbacktheatre skills from October. The taster session is free. The course is cheap. I did a taster session before the summer which was very good indeed and loads of fun. Looking forward to being able to take the course. #newcastlelife #newcastleupontyne #Newcastle #newcastlephotographer #acting #drama #performance #performanceart #workshop #community #NE6 #goodlife #positive #goodthings #excited #theatreskills #training #dramatic #creative #playback (at Byker) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn8wmNoAia5/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1xcunzbb4m2bf

[terpsicore]

Getting ready for tonight's performance #playbacktheatre #teatroimediato @teatroimediato (em Lisbon, Portugal)

[ibta-alexia]

Journal Response: Artist In Residence

During the past week (September 11-15th), our IB Theatre Arts Class had the privilege to work with Eduardo Castro Neves as our Artist In Residence. Over the course of the week we were introduced to playback theatre, a form of physical theatre which revolves around the re-telling of stories and improvisation. 

An aspect of the entire experience which I enjoyed was the routine of the sessions, especially ending each session with a performance. This gave each us something to work towards each session. My favourite performance being during an after school session when we replicated a mini-playback performance using all of the different elements (Chorus, Story, Fluid Structure and The Five Elements) using the audiences’ story. With each element another story was used as inspiration which meant the actors/ensemble needed to be engaged at all time.

On the whole, playback theatre, to me, brought a spirit of community and equality which definitely moved me. Unlike other forms of theatre where the audience has an almost superior role to the actors and the actors are there to simply entertain or educate, in playback the audience is vulnerable as it is their story coming to life infront of them, in the same way the actors are responsible for listening and respecting the stories that are given by the audience. In that way the audience and ensemble are equal and interdependent. Which definitely inspired a new way that I thought of devising theatre as oppose to having a mentality where the sole role of the actor is to provide the energy, entertain and etc., I was inspired by the harmony between audience and ensemble and how that dynamic can be just as powerful as they both understand and explore the same narrative

Another area that I found challenging was the idea of being completely free to do whatever with a space. In the last session we explored the use of empty space briefly and I found it initially difficult to take on the task of molding both myself and the “world” I was performing in. Personally, I always rely on naturalism and heavy dialogue in theatre and so being placed in a situation where I have infinite possibilities can be very overwhelming. However I learned how to interpret space and how to introduce props into the space without necessarily using them in a conventional sense. 

I definitely realised throughout the course of the week that theatre in general is always about telling a story and that regardless of whether the story belongs to a person who is right infront of you or lived 3000 miles away, hundreds of years ago, it is the role of the actor and ensemble to respect and honour the story to the best of their abilities. I think to become a better theatre student I need to continue to use that mentality in regard to any activity and performance that I do. That way every performance is held to a higher standard because there is a person I owe that performance and that story to. I think that a strength I have that can help me achieve this is my physicality which can allow me to fully commit to the story as a character or as an abstract element. 

As an IB learner, I feel that a trait which I practiced this week was being open-minded especially since (in chorus for example) the ensemble needs to accept and idea and go along with it regardless of whether we like it specifically. 

[ibta-alexia]

Artist In Residence #1

11th September: 

1. If you had to describe Playback Theatre in one paragraph to someone who had never experienced it, what would you say?

Playback Theatre is physical storytelling in a broad sense which uses the audience or other ensemble members for a story to use. As well as improvised Playback Theatre includes multiple parts and usually is the retelling of a story or emotion with less dialogue and more physicality. 

2.  In what ways might playback be valuable in a school setting? in a business setting?

Playback theatre would be very useful in a school setting to address problems that arise in the school community such as bullying, change and even things as simple as starting a new school year. Especially in a small group setting, like a year group assembly as oppose to a whole school setting. The same can be said in businesses, instead of physical/sport-like retreats, business retreats that feature playback theatre would be a good way to release tension and get to know others through their stories.

[ibidem-blog]

Terugspeeltheater (Playback Theatre) is een bijzonder interactieve vorm van improvisatietheater. Op basis van persoonlijke ervaringen en verhalen uit het publiek worden scènes gespeeld door acteurs, die deze verhalen als het ware ‘terugspelen’. De kunst is om dit zo te doen, dat de verteller geraakt kan worden door zijn eigen verhaal. Om dit mogelijk te maken moeten de conductor (de spelleider) en de spelers zichzelf altijd de vraag stellen: waar gaat dit verhaal eigenlijk over?

"Le seul véritable voyage, le seul bain de Jouvence, ce ne serait pas d’aller vers de nouveaux paysages, mais d’avoir d’autres yeux, de voir l’univers avec les yeux d’un autre, de cent autres, de voir les cent univers que chacun d’eux voit, que chacun d’eux est."

             ─ Marcel Proust

Terugspeeltheater (Playback Theatre) is een bijzonder interactieve vorm van improvisatietheater. Op basis van persoonlijke ervaringen en verhalen uit het publiek worden scènes gespeeld door acteurs, die deze verhalen als het ware ‘terugspelen’. De kunst is om dit zo te doen, dat de verteller geraakt kan worden door zijn eigen verhaal. Om dit mogelijk te maken moeten de conductor (de spelleider) en de spelers zichzelf altijd de vraag stellen: waar gaat dit verhaal eigenlijk over?

Terugspeeltheater vraagt, naast spelvaardigheid, om het creëren van veiligheid en vertrouwen om een ervaring te delen, om een luisterend oor en invoelingsvermogen. Tijdens de vier uur durende workshop zal docent David van den Bosch de deelnemers laten kennismaken met de basisprincipes en spelvormen. ´s Avonds kunnen de deelnemers hun nieuw verworven vaardigheden presenteren in de vorm van hun eerste terugspeelvoorstelling.

Speciaal aanbevolen voor (ervaren) improvisatiespelers, voor wie het een mooie volgende stap in de eigen ontwikkeling kan zijn om zich deze theatervorm eigen te maken.

Deelname: Deelname aan workshop inclusief koffie, thee en een volledig diner kost €65,- (incl. BTW) en geeft automatisch toegang tot het Open Impro Podium in de avond. 

Opgeven: http://springintheater.nl/inschrijven

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1584281281884607

Plaats: Mirliton Theater (Boven Clarenburg 93-2, 3511 CS Utrecht)

Aanvang workshop: 5 juni 2016, 13.00 uur

Aanvang voorstelling: 5 juni 2016, 20.00  uur (reserveren is kosteloos, entree €5,- bij binnenkomst)