Saturday 8 December 2018

Playback Theatre: Easy to Learn, Difficult to Master


Red Threads of Peace Playback troupe members gather every Wednesday to refresh and hone their performing skills. Physicality, musicality, spontaneity, authenticity, volume, presence, storytelling, emotional expression, creativity and more! Playback offers a rich playing field for learning an art form, learning about ourselves, and connecting with others.


This year Bequie Lake, Briony Haig, Tanissa Martindale and I participated in one week of training on the Suzuki Method and Viewpoints with Thom Morgan Jones, new Artistic Director of Prairie Theatre Exchange. In a word - intense! The training touched me at the core of my being – emotionally, mentally, spiritually and physically. Thom's ability to be present speaks to the method he clearly knows intimately.His level of articulation of skills and direction is luminous. Thom demonstrated capacity to safely guide, respect and support his students through the growth in their artistic skill is welcomed and appreciated. Winnipeg is lucky to have him!


Late in the Fall, Tanissa and Bequie went to Boston for a workshop with Christopher and Anne Ellinger from True Story Theatre. They enjoyed the lovely hospitality and opportunity to connect with other  troupes from across the continent doing what we do; sharing and using the joy and love of Playback in our home communities. Learning playback exercises, forms and performance styles unique to the Boston company and others, pollinates and expands our practice! A special thank you to True Story member Amber Espar, who hosted Tanissa and Bequie at her home, for her generosity of spirit, as a host, teacher and performer.

 

Training also reconnects us with our appreciation of the specific flair, cohesion and multi-faceted strengths of our troupe. The gifts from these trainings are generously shared with the rest of the troupe at our regular playdates. We are hoping to do more training for the full Red Threads company in the New Year!

- Dana Rungay, Founder of Red Threads of Peace Playback