How Training with Sheila Donio Deepened our Love of Playback

Playback newcomers and veterans joined international trainer Sheila Donio, February 18-21 at the Gas Station Arts Centre to explore, revisit, refine and deepen Playback Theatre forms.  

Participants included Red Threads of Peace troupe members as well as educators, actors, social activists, and therapists from diverse Winnipeg communities: Newcomer and refugee, theatre and school system.  

Veteran troupe members found themselves “falling in love” all over again with the classic playback forms and the depth of storytelling they offer. Newcomers wondered where playback had been all their lives and enthusiastically embraced the new learning.  

Sheila's guidance cultivated a sense of belonging and safety within the group that magnified our capacity to build confidence and artistically express. For Red Threads, it not only solidified our troupe, but created a renewed energy and excitement to our work, which has been evident in the discoveries we've made during our playdates/performances since the training!

A huge THANK YOU to The Winnipeg Foundation, the Montreal International Conference Committee and the Gas Station Arts Centre for making this international-level training accessible to us. And of course, we express our immense gratitude to Sheila for sharing her gifts, experience and knowledge. 

At the end of our workshops, we often close by asking each participant to summarize their experience in one word and it was no surprise that the response from all participants was “EXCELLENT!”

Feedback Friday!

We know you are dying to hear about our amazing adventure with Brazilian Playback Trainer, Sheila Donio, but first we want to share some feedback from two of our recent performances. Here's what people had to say about their Red Threads experience:

Studio Central Performance for the Writers’ Group

‘Red Threads of Peace Playback Theatre’ performance at Studio Central had a very profound effect on all of us in attendance. Thank you all for this. 

There were many highlights… firstly we were in awe by the spontaneous enactment of a story or a simple idea offered by a member of the audience. Secondly, your ability to tease out a story line from the audience for the actors to work with is so remarkable. I was very impressed by each of you who took time out of your busy schedules to bring this form of drama to our participants (especially the writers group). 

On behalf of all of us at Studio Central, thank you for this cathartic experience!" 

- Ernie Bart, Studio Central Board Member

Studio Central is a project of Artbeat Studio Inc. Programming at Studio Central aims to facilitate the production of art as a means of inspiring personal passion, connecting generations, bridging diverse groups, and serving as a catalyzing symbol of the people as a community. Alumni of Artbeat Studio’s core program gain ‘career path’ momentum by participating in the implementation of a comprehensive community-based arts program.

Reconciliation Dialogues in Multicultural Parishes Performance

"I take this opportunity to thank all the members of the Playback Theatre for helping us to dialogue between diverse cultures that are represented in our faith communities: St. John Cantius and St. Kateri Tekakwitha Parishes.

Personally, I was impressed how they played back peoples’ stories in a synchronized manner and well minded way, capturing and expanding the meaning of the stories. They created a space of comfort and trust before we went to work in the small groups. I am hoping that they will continue to help us in our future dialogue events.

Thanks a million to each one of you."

- Fr. Nicanor Sarmiento, OMI & St. Kateri Tekakwitha Aboriginal Parish

The interaction helped everyone get connected to the emotions of the person who was telling their story. I found a lot of connection! I am a blind person, but I was able to see it all in my head -- like a slide-show in my head. I even felt the music. The music is what brought everything together. The way he played the music made me really feel the emotion that was being played by the actors. 

- George, audience member