Stories of Mental Health

What happens in a True Story Theater performance?  Our events bring together the delight of improvisation with the courageous vulnerability of people sharing their personal truth.

The show’s emcee (called “the conductor”) facilitates brief, spontaneous conversations with volunteers from the audience who share their own feelings and experiences related to the show’s theme.  After each conversation, the actors and musician immediately embody the key feelings and actions they heard, using movement, music, dialogue, and superb listening. All of it is improvised on the spot. During the course of a 75-minute show, True Story enacts about 6-8 stories.

From this simple interaction, audience members feel validated, laugh, cry, get insights about their lives, and feel an expanded sense of community. You can share a moment from your life and see it performed, or just come to watch.  For more, see https://truestorytheater.com/about-us/how-a-show-works/

This form of improvisation, called Playback Theatre, was developed 50 years ago and is practiced by hundreds of companies in over 70 countries. 

What are True Story Theater’s classes like?  We will teach you the basics of Playback Theatre, which can hone your listening skills for everyday life.  All are welcome.  Classes are supportive, informal, intimate, and fun, an enriching experience for both newcomers and experienced actors.

Our performances are listed with many other current arts and cultural events in Greater Boston on the website: CurtainTimes.