New to True Story Theater?  Please read description below the event.

Stories of Invisible Disabilities

Arlington Community Center 20 Academy Street/27 Maple Street, Arlington, MA, United States

Thursday, July 14th, 6:00 -7:30pm Arlington Community Center, Main Hall 20 Academy Street/27 Maple Street ALL WELCOME, In-Person* (masks encouraged) To attend in-person, please RSVP: E-mail or call Shannon Murphy, COA program coordinator: 781-316-3404 SMurphy@town.arlington.ma.us *Online is available too, register here for the zoom link Come to a free performance of Arlington’s improv ensemble, True […]

Live Arts Arlington – Roving Playback!

Broadway Plaza, Arlington MA Caffè Nero, 321 Broadway, Arlington, MA, United States

True Story Theater is part of Live Arts Arlington! Friday, August 5th at 6pm Broadway Plaza in Arlington Center True Story Theater’s mission is to promote social healing through theatre by building empathy, respect, and understanding in the honoring of true life stories. In a form called “Roving Playback”, troupe members will ask passersby a […]

Boston Medical Center

Zoom video MA, United States

On Zoom--let us know if you are a fan and want to come For cancer survivors, people in treatment, family & friends & other supporters Stories of what sustains us in challenging times

Free

LexPride: Our Heroes and Impacts

Zoom video MA, United States

 On Thursday, October 20th LexPride invites you to a FREE online Playback Theatre show with True Story Theater to honor and celebrate our LGBTQIA+ history. All LGBTQIA+ community, family, friends and allies ages 12-100+ are welcome. No charge, thanks to our sponsors! Please be sure to REGISTER in advance to receive the Zoom link. The […]

Free

Sharon Pluralism Network: Sharing Our Stories and Building Connections

Zoom video MA, United States

"Stories of diverse experiences of living and working in Sharon" Hosted by Sharon Pluralism Network. About this event EVENT DESCRIPTION: SPN has invited True Story Theater to return to Sharon for another program to help us deepen the ways we connect to one another. True Story Theater is a nonprofit improv theater company whose mission […]

Free

Stories of Gratitude in Perilous Times – True Story Theater Fundraiser

Zoom video MA, United States

Support community-building theater with heart by donating and/or attending on Oct 27th About this event Please join True Story Theater for an evening of fun, learning, reflection, and connection. Let’s come together to celebrate and support the healing power of Playback Theatre! All are welcome, whether new to Playback or familiar with this powerful form […]

Active Bystander workshop

Zoom video MA, United States

Active Bystander Intervention Skills * Free Public Workshop * Sunday, January 15, 2023, 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm ET * online-on Zoom Most appropriate for ages 13 to adult To commemorate the work and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, we offer this public workshop as an action you can take to observe Hopkinton’s MLK Giving […]

Building bridges across ideological differences

Zoom video MA, United States

When friends, family members, or colleagues hold different political views from ours, what holds us back from opening up dialogue?   For those of us who have had good experiences with this, what has helped?  Using Playback Theatre, we'll learn from each other.  All perspectives and feelings are welcomed and respected. Does your work involve bridge-building […]

Calvary Church – visions of community

Calvary Church 300 Mass. Ave., Arlington, MA, United States

Do you miss seeing True Story Theater in person?  You are warmly invited to attend the show we're doing for the attendees of Calvary Church in Arlington--upstairs in the Fellowship Hall.  It's a rare treat nowadays for us to do an in-person show, much less one that's open to the public! We'll be inviting church […]

Stories of Longing for Belonging

Common Street Spiritual Center 13 Common Street, Natick, MA

We warmly invite you to join us for an interactive performance on the theme of Longing for Belonging, featuring skilled actors from True Story Theater and hosted by Common Street Spiritual Center. DESCRIPTION This unique and intimate experience is designed to explore the shared human need for connection and belonging in a world where we […]

$15

Disability rights activism – Arlington MA Reads Together

Robbins Library: Community Room (lower level) 700 Mass Ave., Arlington, MA, United States

The performance is inspired by this year's Arlington (Mass.) Reads Together book: Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist. Come to just watch, or to share your thoughts, feelings and experiences around disability activism and/or your thoughts on reading the book. Laugh, cry, and gain insights as True Story's actors and musicians empathetically […]

Stories of people with invisible disabilities or neurodiversity

Zoom video MA, United States

Within our unique selves, how do we face our limitations…and discover new strengths?  When we deal with people’s reactions to disabilities or neurodiversity,  how do we handle painful ignorance (including our own)…or welcome kindness?  Let’s learn from each others’ stories. Come to just watch, or to share your thoughts, feelings and experiences around invisible disabilities […]

Reaching across political differences

Zoom video MA, United States

When your friends, family members, or colleagues hold different political views from yours, what holds you back from opening up dialogue?   If you've had positive experiences reaching across political differences, what has helped your experience be constructive?  Using Playback Theatre, we'll share stories and learn from each other.  All perspectives and feelings are welcomed and […]

50 years of Women Explore

Arlington Center for the Arts 20 Academy Street, Arlington, MA, United States

All are invited to this public show. True Story Theater is helping WomenExplore celebrate their 50 years of thought-provoking lectures covering themes of social justice, equality, feminism, spirituality, and preservation of our precious earth. Thursday May 4, 11:30-1pm ET Arlington Center for the Arts 20 Academy St., 3rd fl., Arlington MA Tickets at door. Suggested […]

Stories of people with invisible disabilities or neurodivergence

Arlington Community Center 27 Maple St Arlington, MA 02476, Arlington, MA, United States

Within our unique selves, how do we face our limitations…and discover new strengths?  When we deal with people’s reactions to disabilities or neurodiversity,  how do we handle painful ignorance (including our own)…or welcome kindness?  Let’s learn from each others’ stories. Come to just watch, or to share your thoughts, feelings and experiences around invisible disabilities […]

What happens in a True Story Theater performance?  Our events bring together the delight of improvisation with the riveting 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 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 basic 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.