Laughing to Live: what a few comedians taught me

Chris at Play - River Side Stories and Playback Theatre - 2013
Seriously funny? Sometimes i’m confused too. Photo credit: Remi Crist

The death this week of one of the funniest Americans of our time, Robin Williams, spurred me to release these words into the wild.  For my capstone course in Playback Theatre this year, I confronted a Creative Project of my choosing that was to be “out of my comfort zone.”

So when you enjoy improvisation, what could be possibly out of your comfort zone? How about scripted theatre?  No, better:  how about scripted comedy?  The idea hit a funny bone that jerked me into saying “yes” before I knew what I was getting into.

Continue reading “Laughing to Live: what a few comedians taught me”

Playback Theatre Workshops, Back By Demand

Inline image 2
As the River Crossing Playback Theatre ensemble continues to grow and perform, it’s been exciting to see a contagion of interest in learning more and doing Playback Theatre. Workshops are how we learn to do Playback Theatre, experience the thrill of telling, listening and improvising the group-mates’ experiences. We’ve found that ongoing classes (rather than one-time workshops) also fulfill another need: cultivating a community that generates its own momentum and support.

Continue reading “Playback Theatre Workshops, Back By Demand”