Improv SpringBoard presents Playback Theatre


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15 responses to “Improv SpringBoard presents Playback Theatre”

  1. Carol Cowles Avatar
    Carol Cowles

    Absolutely hilarious and heartwarming! Such talent!

    1. Marian McClellan Avatar
      Marian McClellan

      Thanks Carol!

  2. Aaron Mayer Avatar
    Aaron Mayer

    This show was so great! Watching the audiences’ stories played back to us was so fun. Not only is it fun to hear the audience members tell their stories, but the vastly talented cast of woman and nonbinary performers does a fantastic job of listening intently and interpreting our stories with hilarious results! Very good job!

  3. This show was such a treat. Highly interactive and the cast is spectacularly funny. It’s like improve but with compelling stories shared by you… the audience. Worth seeing!

  4. Brian Zehnle Avatar
    Brian Zehnle

    What a fun concept! Highly interactive with all the audience participation sharing their stories. The cast is phenomenal and does a fantastic job playing back the stories with ever-heightened wonderfulness. It’s a delightful and unique experience that’s as heartwarming as it is entertaining. Loved it!

  5. Loved this show. The actors did so great with the funny stories from the audience. I was laughing all night! McKenzie is great too, proud sister plug

    1. SO PRRRROOOOOOOOOOUD!

      We all agree. McKenzie is awesome to play with.

  6. GREAT SHOW

  7. Melinda Avatar
    Melinda

    A completely different type of improv. It elicited so many emotions… from tears to laughter. So much respect to the stories from the players. A great experience!

  8. This group takes personal stories from the audience and acts them out in an Improv exercise. I had so much fun watching this show!! Just a really great group of talented people.
    You’ll laugh if you come to this one! I’m telling everyone I know to come watch!!

  9. This was such a delightful show! I loved the concept of pulling the audience into the show. It brought an intimacy that was even more interactive than a typical improv show. All of the players were so funny and they were clearly in sync with one another. Just wonderful. Well done, Improv Springboard!

  10. Jessica Whitfield Avatar
    Jessica Whitfield

    Great job to all the funny women who put on this show!

  11. Mutawakkil Avatar
    Mutawakkil

    Not what I expected. So much better. You guys were great.

  12. David Bis Avatar
    David Bis

    I loved this format for improv, and this cast did a spectacular job with it! Hearing everybody’s stories from the crowd was engaging, and then the cast’s adaptions of the stories were always funny and quick-witted. There’s a clear synergy among the cast and that elevated this show to be an exciting performance.

  13. While most improv shows try to minimize the amount of time an audience member is talking, Playback Theater flips the script–er the non-existent script–and showcases the storytelling abilities of the audience members themselves. A feat that requires trust and humility from the cast of highly talented woman and non-binary improvisors. In the end, the risk pays off immensely. There is no time limit for the newly elected narrator, no glances at watches as a man recounts his near death canoe adventure, no one is silently judging the women who were locked out of their condo on their first night in Chicago. Emily and the cast simply listen to each story with genuine pleasure. But don’t be fooled by the stillness, the improv gears are already turning behind the cast’s eager eyes. After a brief direction from Emily, the cast springs to life with the improvised interpretation of the life event. After the scene, the person who told the story is tasked with validating the playback experience. Any corrections are gleefully received and we see the edited scene again. Corrections to the stories were built-in inside jokes with the audience, guaranteed to set the house on fire with laughter. That’s the kind of connection improv shows dream of. Each member of the cast was present in the moment, ready to blend sensibility and silliness with masterful finesse. The buttons and one-liners reigned supreme. Playback features three different styles of scene work that differ in pacing, tone, and energy. With such a strong cast of improvisors, I would have loved to see more of the collage format that showcases more classic scene work. The playback experience challenges our perception of golden-haze memories and embodies the very heart of “we’ll laugh about this later.

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