“I was brought to tears.” “The performance was inspiring and thrilling.” “I had never seen that side of my son. I was so proud.” These are some of the statements that were uttered about The Roundabout Playback Troupe’s first performance in March 2015. You’ve probably heard of improv before, but have you heard of improv theater where audience members tell personal stories and then watch them “played back” on the spot? Playback theater is used for performance, advocacy and education, and in therapy groups. Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation is home to the only known inclusive playback troupe in the United States which simply means that the troupe has members with and without disabilities.
Carmel Clay Parks and Recreation embraces social equity and growing the community to include everyone in the fun. They see individuals with disabilities as being the same as everyone else and recognize that everyone is looking for the same opportunities to recreate.
The Roundabout Playback Troupe, developed at Carmel Clay Parks and Recreation, started with a vision from Michelle Yadon, one of the agency’s inclusion supervisors and Indiana’s only registered drama therapist. Yadon’s immense experience and passion for theater, combined with her role as an adaptive recreation programmer, led to the creation of the troupe. She believes in the power of theater for advocacy and healing, and wanted to empower the actors to advocate for themselves while displaying their strengths and talent by getting out on the stage, in the spotlight, and performing. Through this program, participants have stepped out of their comfort zones, overcome fears, gained confidence and worked together as one team to put on amazing performances.
Practice Makes Perfect
Audience members at the first performance were shocked to learn that the troupe had started weekly rehearsals just 12 weeks prior to the first performance. Rehearsals began with the troupe building trust, understanding and positive relationships through creative arts, games and activities. After the actors started to feel more comfortable, the basics of playback were introduced. “Fluids” was the first explored playback method. A troupe member asks a question such as, “How would you describe your day in one word?” or “What quality makes you a strong community member?” and once the troupe receives a response, one actor steps forward to portray the word with a repetitive movement and sound. Troupe members then add on to each other and create a moving portrait for the teller. Once the portrait is complete, they create other fluids from the responses.
Next in the rehearsal process, the troupe explored “pairs” where two opposite feelings are explored. If an audience member says his day was hectic and fun, then the troupe can show the audience both feelings through pairs. One actor shows one feeling while the other portrays the opposite feeling.
Once pairs were perfected, the troupe rehearsed full stories, where an audience member tells a story and the troupe of actors performs, or plays back, the story on the spot. It could be a dream, a memory, a short narrative or even “something you want to occur.” The troupe uses musical instruments, colorful scarfs, dancing and role-play to show the story to the teller.
The troupe was supported by a music therapist, so music was a large component through the rehearsal process. Each week, one of the members would bring a piece of music for everyone to learn. During rehearsals, the troupe performed its opening musical number, “Everything Is Awesome,” and choreography was incorporated to show originality.
The Performance
The first performance was produced during Disability Awareness Month as part of Carmel Clay Parks and Recreation’s campaign to create acceptance and understanding for the community. The performance’s theme focused around the Indiana Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities theme, “Love Where You Live,” a broad theme that allowed audience members to generate the topics they wanted to explore during the performance. Yadon explained the diversity among audience members: “There are some audience members who enjoy being part of the experience but never share, and this is still very helpful because they serve as a support system for the tellers.” Some performances can be very joyful and happy when audiences are exploring friendships and community strengths, while other groups may explore personal losses, tragedies and world disasters. The variety of topics means it is imperative that the person directing the troupe has a background in playback. Yadon’s drama therapy background has been especially beneficial because she can support audiences in safely exploring topics and leave them feeling empowered.
It is beautiful to watch the understanding and empathy as the audience experiences individuals with disabilities exploring these complex topics. Yadon reflected on one of her favorite moments from the first performance: “We asked the audience to shout out a word that described a strength, and one woman said ‘compassion.’ One of the actors went center stage, and he put his hands over his heart and made a beeping sound. You could hear the auditorium filling with sounds from the audience, and it brought tears to my eyes. He showed a complex emotion with one movement and sound that we all understood. It was breathtaking.”
Since its inception in early 2015, The Roundabout Playback Troupe has put on one in-house production with more than 100 attendees participating in the fun. In addition to hosting two community performances each year, the troupe has begun to tour to local businesses and nonprofit organizations to share their stories.
Join Carmel Clay Parks and Recreation in the inclusive movement and think about people, not disabilities. If you are looking to incorporate theater in your department, or would like to find out more ways in how you could implement a program similar to that at Carmel Clay Parks and Recreation, please call 317.573.4020.
Lindsay Labas is the Marketing Director at Caramel Clay Parks and Recreation. Michelle Yadon is the Inclusion Supervisor at Carmel Clay Parks and Recreation.
How to Add a Playback Troupe to Your Department
What better way to include everyone in the fun than adding an inclusive playback troupe to your organization? Having a dedicated staff member to work with individuals with disabilities and with the playback troupe is a definite benefit, but not a requirement.
Here are five things you can do to get started:
1) Find the right leader: The practitioner leading the troupe should have experience leading or participating in playback. It is a tricky art form, and the troupe can feel very vulnerable or exposed if the leader doesn’t have the correct training. Learn more information about playback and specific classes. You can also find a registered drama therapist in your area who can support you in finding a playback practitioner in your community.
2) Get trained: There are four levels of training through The Centre for Playback Theater. The first level is Core Training which includes a course about the basics of playback, including the methods, history and rituals. The second level is a course on leading a playback troupe and another course where the student will delve deeper in the art form. The third level is an advanced-skills workshop where the practitioner begins to master different components of playback theater. The final level is the leadership course, where practitioners are preparing leadership in their community or the field of playback.
3) Form a troupe: Set auditions for your troupe and generate interest from community members. Look for actors who complement each other in diversity. The troupe should be different ages, genders, ethnicities, and abilities. Be aware that all actors need to have a sense of empathy, active listening and basic understanding of self.
4) Select a performance date: Get a date set for your first performance as this gives the troupe a goal and the leader a timeline.
5) Promote and partner: Connect with local organizations, businesses and media sources that can support your new endeavor. Reach out to other playback troupes for promotion and support.