PLAY

3/1/2025

Surviving the trump administration, A Daily Thread. Episode 38: PLAY

Improv has always scared the shit out of me. Going through undergrad and then grad school in acting, I had to take several classes that required it, and I was even briefly in an improv troupe in grad school because they asked me to join and I thought it would be good for me to say yes. But it’s terrifying to get up on stage without a script or a plan and just hope it works out.

So, I auditioned for an improv troupe last month and got in! It’s not a comedy style; it’s called Playback Theatre, which is a form that was started in New York in 1975 and (according to their Wikipedia page) now has troupes in six continents and 40 countries.

Playback involves listening to stories from audience members and recreating them onstage, often using metaphor, song, and other non-literal interpretations to get at the root of emotion and meaning in the story. The intention is to encourage connection, empathy, and healing through deep listening and sharing.

We had a mini-retreat today where we played some acting games, did some improv, and had a potluck to start to get to know each other. Was it scary at times? Yes. Was it playful and fun and fulfilling? Also yes. I’m grateful to be able to expand in this way, bringing together acting and healing and connection, which are all so important to me.

And I’m STILL a queen of Zip Zap Zop, a theatre game I almost always won in college!