Growth Amidst Challenges - A Playback Theatre Exploration
Improv Theater
With Noa Leibu, Anna Smetanova, Lena Eisengraeber, Marie Klupp, Jürgen Schoo, Gerhard Uebele
During times of adversity and pain, we must remember that there is a possibility for growth and transformation.
What happens in a playback theater performance?
Members of the audience share their thoughts, feelings, and memories. They then witness as performers transform them into improvised theater pieces. There is space for listening, sharing and connecting.
Rather than being passive observers, audience members actively contribute to the creation of the performance. They are invited to express thoughts and feelings, linking their individual stories to collective experiences. It is a powerful way of engaging with community members, addressing conflicts and connecting to others’ perspectives.
As part of the ID Festival, the performance will likely draw inspiration from the recent war in Israel and other crises around the world.
Whether you have a personal story to share or simply want to bear witness to the experiences of others, the event promises to be a moving and, hopefully, transformative experience.
Sun 14.4 | 11 AM
Radialsystem Studio 1
Language: English and German
Duration: 90 min.
Donation-based entry.
Recommended pricing 18€ / 9€/ 0€
BIOGRAPHIES
Noa Leibu (MA) is an Israeli playback theater conductor and actress practicing playback theatre for the past two decades. She founded the ensemble ‘Story Lane Playback Theatre’ in Berlin in 2017. In recent years, she has been teaching playback theater internationally, conducting solo playback performances, creating a podcast on playback theatre, and being a former member of the International Playback Theatre Network.
Lena Eisengraeber is a social worker and a theater educator. She has experience in working with children and adults from marginalized and multicultural backgrounds. She has been a formal member of the German theater ensemble “Playback Theater Berlin” and the international ensemble “Story-lane Playback Theater”.
Marie Klupp is a psychologist, professional group facilitator, and coach. Was inspired by Playback Theater more than 20 years ago and has been practicing it ever since. Marie is part of the international playback theatre group “Story Lane”, and conducted theater projects for the refugee community in Berlin. In her eyes, the ability to improvise is a powerful tool not only on stage but for life in general.
Jürgen Schoo started practicing Playback Theatre in 1998 in Cologne with „Lamäng Kölner Playback Theater“. When he moved to Berlin in 2001 he joined „Playback Theater Berlin“. From 2001 to 2011 he served the International Playback Theatre Network IPTN as membership secretary for Western Europe and Israel. In 2007 Jürgen joined the IPTN Board, where he was president from 2011 to 2015. Co-founder of the Isareli-German Playback Theatre collaboration project „Tales of Two Cities: Tel Aviv – Berlin“.
Gerhard Uebele is a jazz violinist and a theater musician on miscellaneous instruments. He is a playback theater musician since 2015 and has worked with the Tumoristen and with Noa Leibu. His texts about music appeared in Positionen, and in the “Jüdische Allgemeine” among others magazines.