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"Not
a light thing"
Despite the daunting physical conditions in New Orleans, the team performed, in
Paul's words, "the kind of playback we
seldom get to do--very rewarding." After the test of these performances, there
is no doubt that individuals in New Orleans
will respond to an invitation to tell their story and see it embodied on the
stage. According to the team, a common refrain was "When are you coming back?" On Saturday, December 10, Laura Flanders interviewed the team about their playback work in New Orleans on her radio show for Air America. The lessons of this first trip will be carefully assessed as a second trip is planned in the spring. Meanwhile, volunteers are making phone calls and establishing links to activists in New Orleans who might help with the project. Before that, the School of Playback Theatre is offering a course for Persons of Color Working in Playback, in part as a way to empower conductors for work in NOLA-like conditions. There is strong interest in the course. The playback community has supported these efforts with wonderful generosity. Some companies have sent proceeds from benefit performances and general operating funds, including groups outside the US. Funds raised to date will cover expenses for the first trip and some scholarships the Persons of Color course. The School will continue to receive contributions for more scholarships and expenses for the next trip to the Gulf. The extent of the tragedy to so many lives in the Gulf, the complexity of organizing playback theatre there, and the sociopolitical realities of post-hurricane reconstruction make the project intense and full of challenges. We are very excited at the same time--at how much we are learning about how to bring the deep value of playback theatre to where it matters most. Jonathan Fox |
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