“For the variety of different styles of theatre out there, Playback is a refreshingly different watch! The set up beautifully blends in the talent of the actors, the personal suggestions of the audience and the facilitator orchestrating the flow.
A set of actors on cue by the facilitator, jump right into the scene and enact a piece, simply by hearing verbatim when a member from the audience comes and shares something significant from his/her life, and the actors play it right back to him. (I guess that’s why playback?)
Just watching them makes one realize, this forum truly challenges the actors like no other platform does, because this set up demands them to think on their feet, act on a creative impulse and collaborate instinctively with other fellow actors.
But it is a deeper activity than just a creative outlet. For someone whose story is being played out, the moment transfixes them as they see their reality played out, but from a perspective they might not have considered before. For someone who hasn’t emoted a feeling in its entirety when it happened, (fun or intense) to see an actor bring it up, is almost cathartic and gives a closure or a chance to re-live it all over again, sometimes when least expected. A beautiful blend of creativity, unexpected therapy sometimes, acting ( of course!) perspectives and more, Playback is a setup which show human creativity, inclusivity and talent so subtly sometimes, but that beautifully.
I came out mesmerized, impressed and wanting to see more stories and the beautiful talent of these thoughtful actors.”
The writer attended a Playback forum last month.
The Actors Collective performs Playback Theatre every last weekend of the month at Lahe Lahe, Indiranagar (Usually the last Sunday)
Next Playback:
Catch the next Playback Diaries on this coming Sunday 24th November 2019 at 6:30 pm at Lahe Lahe. It also happens to be the last Playback performance of the year by Actors Collective at Lahe Lahe.
