In this interactive afternoon of theater and discussion, participants will hold space for one another to tell their stories of being white in a world that privileges whiteness. The performers of Playback for Change will facilitate reflection in creative retellings.

About Playback for Change

PLAYBACK FOR CHANGE, located in Philadelphia, PA is a multi-racial, improvisational theatre company dedicated to using playback theatre as a vehicle for social change. Our mission is to provide performances and workshops for communities, schools, non-profits, and organizations, using playback theatre to help individuals and groups gain insight, understanding, and skills to create more just and inclusive communities. PFC has been performing for the past 16 years and has done hundreds of performances throughout the Philadelphia area. Our clients include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Continental Airlines, Jefferson Hospital, Bryn Mawr College, Penn State University, The Institute for Inclusion, and Milton Hershey School.

About Playback Theatre

Playback Theatre is an improvisational theater form that uses audience members’ real stories as the source material. The performance is spontaneous - it is theatre created through a unique collaboration between performers and audience. Someone from the audience tells a story or moment from their life, chooses actors to play the different roles, then watches as their story is immediately recreated on “stage.” Artistically we weave together spoken word, dance, music, storytelling, and physical theatre in an improvisational form that can be serious, deeply moving, and at the same time funny.

Playback Theatre gives attention to the social interactive elements of a whole community or organization, enabling an enriching experience for actors and audience alike. It gives the storyteller and the group a chance to gain insights from seeing the story from a new perspective. In both performances and workshops, Playback Theatre helps people and groups to access intuition and wisdom through action, in the body. Groups in conflict and people divided by race, class or culture have found new attitudes of acceptance through sharing experiences in playback performances.