Jacksonville Playback Theatre
Jacksonville, FL USA
info@jaxplayback.com
P.O.  Box 38003
Jacksonville, Fl 32205
www.jaxplayback.com

Jacksonville Playback Theatre is a member of the International Playback Theatre Network, which performs around the world.  The Jacksonville Company is comprised of a mix of actors and storytellers whose day jobs range from educators, artists, government workers, health care and human service workers.  Working together over a long period of time, the group has developed a keen sensibility to one another that allows them to pull off their brand of spontaneous theatre with entertaining results.

We enjoy performing before a wide range of audiences, from small support groups to conferences and open public performances.  Although the size and nature of the audiences constantly change we are always in awe of the rich connection we make with others thanks to the Playback form.

The group was started and trained by Paula Patterson who studied with Jonathan Fox, the creator of the Playback form.   Paula, a registered drama therapist, now directs Reflections Playback Troupe, a company for the University of Florida at Shands Hospital, which focuses on the stories of patients and caregivers.

Our performances help others see issues through different eyes.  They build community as audience members recognize their own struggles and dreams in the stories.  Therefore, our form of theatre is ideal for team building, conflict resolution, boosting of morale, and increasing a sense of vision.

Our form of theatre is easily adaptable to any group and setting.  We have provided performances for clients of mental health service providers, middle school and college students, prison inmates, support groups, and church congregations.

Whether you are seeking a time of celebration, an innovative way to help organization members work more effectively together, or just something a little bit different, contact Jacksonville Playback Theatre.  We offer all of these with our unique form of spontaneous drama.

Prices for a performance by Jacksonville Playback Theatre are on a sliding scale, based on ability to pay, as well as on the scope of the performance. Contact us at the e-mail address below for more information.

If you would like to discuss the scheduling of a Playback performance for your organization, please e-mail us at info@jaxplayback.com.  If you are an organization that deals with AIDS prevention and/or education or that serves at-risk populations, you may be interested in reading about our brAIDs grant that will allow us to schedule free performances.

Playback Theatre turns stories offered by audience members into dramatic pieces.  Playback Theatre is an innovative and inspiring style of improvisational theatre.  It is "theatre without a script."  Audience members are encouraged to share stories from their lives and watch them enacted, or "played back" on the spot.  A Playback conductor helps each willing audience member tell a story--casting actors as people, places, things, animals, feelings--whatever the story requires.  Then, without consultation, the Playback actors play the story back using only cloth, boxes, music and themselves.  The results are often as unexpected as they are engaging.

No Playback performance is like any other and no one knows quite what to expect when they walk through the doors.  That's the spontaneous nature of Playback, for actors and audience alike.  Unlike comedy improv Playback performance mirror the mood and tone of the stories that get told whether comical or mundane, tragic or heroic.  Playback is improvisational drama that honors the personal stories of the audience members, celebrating both our commonality and our uniqueness.

Playback theatre can be used in just about any setting imaginable and for many different purposes.  Around the world, Playback Theatre is used to entertain, to promote mental and physical healing, to build community, and to train organization members in conflict resolution.

Jacksonville Playback Theatre puts an emphasis on the individual, in hopes that the sharing of stories will bring about both personal growth and an increased ability to relate effectively with others.

We have shared our presentations with clients of the Jacksonville Women's Center, middle school students, prison inmates, University of North Florida students, and church congregations.  We have performed in front of audiences as small as six to as large as seventy-five.  Playback is easily adapted to groups of different natures and sizes.

In short, Jacksonville Playback Theatre is ideal for any group that is interested in a performance that is inspiring, moving, challenging, and often humorous.  We are a member of the International Playback Theatre Network.

“It was a wonderful evening, alive with spirit, fun, and celebration. . . It was heartwarming to see how you incorporated the audience into your performance. . . Truly everyone felt included and were totally engaged in your performance.  We were all amazed how you could re-tell a story through gestures, a few words, and fewer props—and still have that story be understood and viewed in a different way.”  Dorothy B. Klein, Community Leader, L’Arche Harbor House

“I am at a loss for words in describing the intense interaction. . . The women in the group not only responded to the playback theatre, they also shared sensitive issues and began to heal some of their pain.  Many of the women have been physically or sexually abused and are not always comfortable discussing their anguish.  The warmth and kindness of the Playback Theatre members put the clients at ease and helped them to open up so as to begin the healing process. . . . The level of preparation for the group was evident as the process was effective and educational.”  Audrey Dearborn, LMHC, Women’s Center of Jacksonville