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Guidelines for Planning Playback Theatre Performances With Displaced Residents
from New Orleans As the anniversaries of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita take place each year, for any playback theatre company considering a special event to mark the occasion, here are some suggestions for what a playback company should keep in mind when planning and preparing for performances with displaced New Orleanians. >>Do your homework – learn about the social and political causes of the disaster, learn about the history and demographics of New Orleans, and what the current struggles are for displaced New Orleanians and for residents who have managed to return. See list of suggested readings below. >>Research who in your local community is already providing support to displaced New Orleanians and network with them. >>Interview and build relationships with displaced New Orleanians first. Take your cues from them as to what is helpful and at what level they want to share. >>Be clear about your intentions for the performance(s). >If it is for New Orleanians only, and you are inviting trauma stories, be prepared. Have social workers in the room, or provide contacts for people to talk to after the show. Be clear about how much to act out literally, and what the impact will be. >If it is for a mixed audience and the goal is awareness and building support, you might want to identify some tellers in advance, and have follow up questions ready for those people in the audience who are not from New Orleans. Make sure to invite displaced New Orleanians to say what kind of support they most need and want. >Do some work in your troupe on how to bring out the social dimension of potential stories. Use the handout on Company Preparedness. >Work to have a mixed race cast, and if possible, a conductor of color. >Consider a series of performances, and consider doing shows for evacuees first, and later opening shows up to outsiders.
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