Playback-Theater Berlin:
Being different

Not feeling part of it. Being excluded because of skin colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation or class or feeling excluded for other reasons – have you ever had that? And on the other hand, do you know that feeling of being proud to be different, to be a unique individual, to have a very personal charisma? Also, who’s never wanted to be something other than what he or she is?

Playback Theater combines modern improvised theatre with the old forms of narrative theatre, where the stories were shared. We present on stage whatever moves you – impressions and your own stories. With humour, the necessary gravity and always with respect.

Panel:
Improv can do more!

Panel discussion on the use of improv techniques beyond mere entertainment.

Panel members:

Wolfgang Wendlandt	Deniz Döhler	Ariane Ehinger
Ellinor Schunack	Randy Dixon

For years, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wendlandt has been using improv techniques in training and  psychotherapy, because improvisation expands the room to manoeuvre and imparts new perspectives. After he fell ill with cancer, he founded "Die Tumoristen“, an improv theatre group of people affected by cancer, whose performances contribute to disease management, activate the self-healing powers of patients and counters the taboo society puts on the issue of cancer.

Deniz Döhler and his wife Christiane are both improvisers and have an autistic child. In their intensive search for all sorts of approaches to promote communication with their child, they found a technique which was developed in the US and which has a lot to do with improv theatre. They took this and their many experiences along the way and developed a parent-child one-year training course called AuJA- Accepting Autism And Taking Action. They also founded the non-profit enterprise AuJA Spielräume (Room to play).

Playback Theater Berlin has been around for 15 years. The audience is invited to tell stories from their own lives – be it short event or dreams or stories from the past. The audience’s stories are acted out in touching scenes. Those scenes and images come to life through the diversity of physical and linguistic expression and musical improvisation. What’s special about this form of theatre is the fusion of art, healing and social power. Represented by Ariane Ehinger, the artistic director.

Ellinor Schunack, speech therapist, improvises with stutterers. „How is that supposed to work? Stuttering hinders you when speaking! Won’t stress levels double?“ You’d be forgiven for thinking like this for a moment. Through the flow of play people relax and gain trust in their own actions. Improvisation expands everything. Confidence, spontaneity, the ability to engage in dialogue, community spirit.

Stories have the power to heal. Whether you’re aware of it or not: the way you talk about your health will influence your well-being. Mythology expert and improv regular Randy Dixon (unexpected productions/Seattle) collaborates with medical doctors on a new method of "narrative medicine". He will talk about how your personal mythology can change your life.

The moderator of the discussion is Barbara Klehr (Die Gorillas).

The Tumoristen:
Say YES to hope - a playful way out of the crisis!

Die Tumoristen sind das erste Impro-Ensemble krebsbetroffener Menschen, die seit drei Jahren Playbacktheater spielen. Sie bieten Krisen und Krankheiten die Stirn – spielend bewältigen sie ihre Krankheit. Sie sagen JA zum Leben, JA zum Augenblick. Und bringen die Geschichten des Publikums voller Witz und Tiefe auf die Bühne. Spannend und einmalig.