New to True Story Theater? Please read description below the event.
You are invited to an exploration that honors the experience of people who have often been stigmatized for simply claiming their own true identities. True Story Theater will invite participants to share their thoughts and feelings about “Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family,” the 2017 Arlington Reads Together selection, and about their relationship to the experience of trans* and different gender identities.
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.
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.
Bystander Intervention workshop