Playback Theatre
Welcome to the spontaneous, creative and therapeutic theatre where the stories of the spectators are played one time only.
The birth of psychodrama and playback theatre goes back to the early 21st century. Moreno, in search of a new life philosophy, had included the clues he got from his search into the forming process of the playback theatre. And these clues turned out to be the indicators of revolutionary notions. It is natural that these progresses arise in theatre, an important environment in which society can discuss about life issues. Theatre is not only an opportunity to stage life, but also ?as an art form? contains the meanings of ?questioning about life?, ?searching for the self? and ?revealing the creativity?.
This could be the reason why Moreno chose this art form, because of all the important features it has. All the roles we could ever receive in life can take place on a theatre scene, thus also on playback theatre scene. This enables us to re-watch and re-understand everything and even from time to time enables us to change. Sometimes stage becomes a healing area. The need to look oneself from outside demands more than just the truth obtained from mind processes. It exists as a necessity of transcendent roles (the highest stage one can reach during the role development process).
Transcendent roles are the roles in which a person does not stay for a long time but stays in short periods to look at self from outside, to question the meanings of life, existence and time, and to find answers. The people who can stay in these roles constantly or for a long time can only be prophets, saints etc. This is one of the facts that make humankind part of evolved specie. Theatre improves taking transcendent roles. Theatre and especially playback theatre is a notion that needs to be analyzed.
Playback theatre (which focuses on the moment of the artistic creativity) looks at the creation moment of the play and carries out this moment on the scene. The main thing is the moment of creation and in theatre it seems it only depends on the director and the playwright. While presenting the character, the actor benefits from that creativity, after that we see a play that terminated, every night the copies increase. At this point playback theatre is different. The storyteller, actor, director and the audience share the moment of creation and naturally live the moment one time only. In this formation everybody has a part of creation.
The conserved roles (theatre roles) Moreno mentions do not appear in playback theatre. The roles written in classical theatre are limited, do not include creativity and conserve roles. The actor doesn?t need to act spontaneous and creative, unless a trouble occurs with the scene setup. Then what is attractive for these actors?
Everybody has responsibility in playback theatre. The real creativity is possible only with responsibility. The courage to create emerges from this concept. The storyteller, actors, musician and director take equal amount of responsibility during a play. The play will never be repeated and flows on and on; just like life itself.
The people who change history are the people who don?t look back or get stuck in history. This is the proof of their spontaneity and creativity. Everything happens and ends. This is the indicator of new beginnings.
People who have unfinished issues can?t make new beginnings.
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