ISEEU THEATER TRAINING
This is your invitation to express yourself! Have fun! Listen better!
Gain confidence! Surprise yourself!
Tell your stories and the stories of others using improvisational theater.
Challenge fear with presence! Turn beliefs into food for thought!
Improv . . . It’s Not What You Think!
Gain confidence! Surprise yourself!
Tell your stories and the stories of others using improvisational theater.
Challenge fear with presence! Turn beliefs into food for thought!
Improv . . . It’s Not What You Think!
Our classes are for you if . . . you're ready to break out of your box, explore something new, find and express your authentic voice, respond to a hidden desire or calling, deepen your listening and acting skills, or just have fun! Focus is on developing improv skills and learning basic Playback forms.
Michelle, Tonia, Ani & Kamau (seated) in True Story Theater scene.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
For those who stick with it, Iseeu Theater training will develop you into a more aware, compassionate, centered person and a really good improv actor and/or supporting musician. For some, it may become a spiritual practice where a conscious connection with the Inner Divine is created and nurtured.
Depending on the number of classes in the series you will:
For those who stick with it, Iseeu Theater training will develop you into a more aware, compassionate, centered person and a really good improv actor and/or supporting musician. For some, it may become a spiritual practice where a conscious connection with the Inner Divine is created and nurtured.
Depending on the number of classes in the series you will:
- Play improv games and do exercises to practice concepts and to loosen up your body, voice and creativity
- Learn the basics of improvisational acting to work together more easily with others on stage
- Draw from your personal experiences and talents to create characters and scenes
- Learn to listen to yourself and others more deeply and carefully
- Learn Playback Theatre forms to re-enact stories and feelings
- Understand and practice the role of musician
- Experience the healing effect of the art of improvisation and Playback Theatre
- Leave each class with renewed feelings of confidence, possibilities and connection
- Participate in building a more understanding and connected community
TRAINING OBJECTIVES > SOCIAL HEALING through THEATER:
PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES > SOCIAL HEALING through THEATER:
- to teach improvisational acting skills
- to teach Playback Theatre and music table skills
- to provide a safe container to reinvent and express yourself
- to coach experienced and/or new 'citizen' actors to recognize the difference between spirit-centered acting and ego-centered acting through Iseeu Theater’s teaching methods
- to practice teamwork, deep listening, and respect for others by working together on stage to create scenes and re-enact the stories being told with presence and empathy
PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES > SOCIAL HEALING through THEATER:
- to create a more compassionate, understanding and connected community through the power of storytelling and improvisational theater
- to provide a safe emotional container for personal stories to be told and received
- to honor each personal story by bringing it to life for the storyteller and the audience
- to give the storyteller the healing, restorative gift of being seen and being heard (by the actors as well as the people present)
So, what might you feel as a story teller, when you watch a small group of ordinary people like yourself listen attentively with care and respect to your story - then instantly turn your story into a brief theatrical scene about you and the story you just told?
And what might you feel as an actor who becomes the teller, another character, or even an important environmental element in that story?
And what might you feel as an actor who becomes the teller, another character, or even an important environmental element in that story?
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As the Storyteller
watching the actors you might feel heard feel seen feel moved feel valued feel they “get” you feel liberated from the past feel grateful feel healed feel joy! |
As an Actor
playing back this personal story you might feel honored and responsible feel nervous or self-conscious feel inspired feel connected feel you’ve found your voice feel liberated from internal pressures feel freedom feel alive feel satisfaction! |
PEOPLE OF COLOR PROJECT
This project was launched in 2011 to involve more people of color in the art, service, benefits, joy and satisfaction of the practice and performance of improvisational theater and Playback Theatre. This project is designed to give interested men, women and teens of color the opportunity to be trained as improv actors and eventually perform for audiences of color and the wider community. The performances are intended to spread the healing effects, lift hearts, build community, and give audience members the experience of seeing themselves, and their stories, represented on stage. (Scroll to end of page to read WHAT MOTIVATED THIS PROJECT.)
The long-term vision is to create a performing ensemble and to open up this training to everyone who might be interested. For now though, the students being recruited are adults and mature young people who consider themselves people of color.
The long-term vision is to create a performing ensemble and to open up this training to everyone who might be interested. For now though, the students being recruited are adults and mature young people who consider themselves people of color.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE in the PEOPLE OF COLOR PROJECT?
Adults and mature teens - who live your daily life as a person of color - and want to learn, explore and practice improvisational acting and Playback Theatre skills. People of color are people of any racial or cultural mix who 1) naturally and regularly identify as a person of color, 2) whose skin tones range from light honey to dark ebony, and 3) may have other marginalized social identities such as gender, size, sexual orientation, age, ability, etc.
Adults and mature teens - who live your daily life as a person of color - and want to learn, explore and practice improvisational acting and Playback Theatre skills. People of color are people of any racial or cultural mix who 1) naturally and regularly identify as a person of color, 2) whose skin tones range from light honey to dark ebony, and 3) may have other marginalized social identities such as gender, size, sexual orientation, age, ability, etc.
If you or someone you know might be interested in participating in the Iseeu Theater Project for People of Color
as a student, or supporting this project financially with a donation (to help with rent, scholarships, stipends, etc.)
please contact Tonia: WakeUpWorks @ gmail.com or make a donation here:
as a student, or supporting this project financially with a donation (to help with rent, scholarships, stipends, etc.)
please contact Tonia: WakeUpWorks @ gmail.com or make a donation here:
TO STOP THE MUSIC playing on this page so you can hear the video,
scroll to the bottom of this page and CLICK the || symbol on the left side of the player.
scroll to the bottom of this page and CLICK the || symbol on the left side of the player.
Some comments about TONIA'S ISEEU IMPROV & PLAYBACK TRAINING:
LISA O.: “Your class was amazing! You made the process so fun and engaging.”
BETH K.: Some of the many benefits of improv and playback theatre I have found include: increased mindfulness and presence (learning to be in the present moment), empathy, learning to listen more closely to others, stepping out of my comfort zone, thinking outside of the box, improved creativity and problem-solving, increased spontaneity, and greater acceptance.
DAVID: Hearing everyone's stories has expanded me. I've gained more confidence from experiences of "going with it" even when I could not imagine where it would go. I have an increased sense of the commonality of all people in terms of our shared human emotional experiences.
DEBRA H-B: I can only describe the ISEEU Classes as so much FUN! And a friendly and inviting environment created by the instructor Tonia Pinheiro. Unbelievably interesting how I thought I knew myself, but this class challenges you to step deeper into knowing and discovering what you really feel about yourself, naturally! Tonia is such a great teacher, you begin to feel like a real improvisationist! So come join the fun!
D.S.S.: The class helped me tap into spontaneity and joy.
(Read more on Audience Comments Page)
LISA O.: “Your class was amazing! You made the process so fun and engaging.”
BETH K.: Some of the many benefits of improv and playback theatre I have found include: increased mindfulness and presence (learning to be in the present moment), empathy, learning to listen more closely to others, stepping out of my comfort zone, thinking outside of the box, improved creativity and problem-solving, increased spontaneity, and greater acceptance.
DAVID: Hearing everyone's stories has expanded me. I've gained more confidence from experiences of "going with it" even when I could not imagine where it would go. I have an increased sense of the commonality of all people in terms of our shared human emotional experiences.
DEBRA H-B: I can only describe the ISEEU Classes as so much FUN! And a friendly and inviting environment created by the instructor Tonia Pinheiro. Unbelievably interesting how I thought I knew myself, but this class challenges you to step deeper into knowing and discovering what you really feel about yourself, naturally! Tonia is such a great teacher, you begin to feel like a real improvisationist! So come join the fun!
D.S.S.: The class helped me tap into spontaneity and joy.
(Read more on Audience Comments Page)
A BIT MORE ABOUT PLAYBACK THEATRE
Playback Theatre was founded in 1975 by Jonathan Fox and Jo Salas and is now practiced in over 70 countries around the world. Playback is a form of improvisational theater where the emcee, called the conductor, the actors and a musician listen to the personal stories of volunteers from the audience. Then the audience and the “teller” of the story get to watch each story acted out with respect, care and artistic flourish.
You can learn more here http://playbacktheatre.org and here http://playbackcentre.org/.
Read about the history here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playback_Theatre
Playback Theatre was founded in 1975 by Jonathan Fox and Jo Salas and is now practiced in over 70 countries around the world. Playback is a form of improvisational theater where the emcee, called the conductor, the actors and a musician listen to the personal stories of volunteers from the audience. Then the audience and the “teller” of the story get to watch each story acted out with respect, care and artistic flourish.
You can learn more here http://playbacktheatre.org and here http://playbackcentre.org/.
Read about the history here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playback_Theatre
To view some short videos and learn more about the power of Playback Theater visit True Story Theater's website: https://truestorytheater.com/about-us/how-a-show-works/
If you go to Youtube.com and type "Playback Theatre" in the search field, you can watch lots of videos illustrating Playback and the props used (boxes, colored cloths, musical instruments). Here are 2 videos from Synergy in Action that explain Playback Theatre http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_hyFLVkojw [2:36] and capture personal testimonies from high school students in Washington DC about it's impact on them http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpreqmeeO_w [4:25].
If you go to Youtube.com and type "Playback Theatre" in the search field, you can watch lots of videos illustrating Playback and the props used (boxes, colored cloths, musical instruments). Here are 2 videos from Synergy in Action that explain Playback Theatre http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_hyFLVkojw [2:36] and capture personal testimonies from high school students in Washington DC about it's impact on them http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpreqmeeO_w [4:25].
Tonia, Ukumbwa, Christopher in True Story Theater scene
ABOUT YOUR TEACHER
Tonia Pinheiro has been a musical performer all of her life, singing with The Indigos, Goddess Gospel, Improvelocity and East Coast Chant. In 1997 she began the study of improv acting with Daena Giardella and has also studied vocal improv with Rhiannon and Joey Blake. In 2003 she joined True Story Theater, a Playback Theatre company based in Arlington MA.
Playback is a form of improvisational theater where the actors listen to the personal stories of volunteers from the audience. Then the “teller” of the story gets to watch their story acted out with respect, care and artistic flourish. Playback Theatre was founded in 1975 by Jonathan Fox and Jo Salas and you can learn more about it here http://playbacktheatre.org and here http://www.playbackcentre.org/.
Tonia has maintained her improv theater practice through various projects including Iseeu Theater Project for People of Color, Boston Transformational Theater, Indescribable Improv, Open Hearth, Dramatic Insight, Drama of Medical Encounters, T.A.L.K. Project) and by teaching improv and Playback to adults, teens and children (Bikes Not Bombs Girls in Action program, Close to Home - Youth Dating Violence, Bay State Prison Lifers, Women Ex-Offenders Recovery Project, Riverside Theater Girls Improv, Hyde Square Task Force Teen Awareness of Sexual Harassment, Project Rethink Teen Empowerment Program, New Orleans LA, Citi Performing Arts Center Teen Leaders program, and more.
Tonia is a microcosm of cultural, racial, socio-economic and spiritual diversity. This diversity informs both her artistic expressions and professional work with others. As a person of multi-racial descent, she has made a lifelong commitment to harmonizing the challenging and complex legacies of her blood lines, soul lineage, and life experiences.
WHAT MOTIVATED THIS PROJECT
Tonia: “I traveled to Brazil in the early 1990s with a Brazilian friend of European descent. Most Brazilians are a combination of European, Indigenous, and African bloodlines. One morning, we left early for the train on the public transit system in Sao Paulo. As we entered the flow of people going to work I was struck by how much they looked like me and I looked like them. Medium brown skin, dark hair. I became acutely aware that my tall “white” friend actually stood out in this sea of “brown” people, and I blended in and disappeared. This was a revelation! I don’t stand out. I’m one of the many. No one is noticing me. That was when I realized that I had a constant, unconscious awareness of standing out in the “white” crowd of the dominant U.S. culture. Being highly visible (because I don’t blend in visually) requires that I speak and behave in ways that draw little or no attention to the fact that I look different. Hopefully I’ll just fit into the white culture and therefore be acceptable. This awareness culminated with a realization in the Sao Paolo train station: Oh, so this is how white people must feel in the United States. Where ever they go, there they are! How comforting it is to be mirrored so clearly by the people around you.”
Over the course of her years with True Story Theater, Tonia noticed a few things. Most audiences that come to the public Playback shows are of Caucasian/European descent. When True Story Theater has performed for audiences that are mostly or completely people of color, there is a visceral response by the people in the audience that they are now free to share what’s in their hearts, in front of interested others. And they share incredibly deep, often traumatic events, some with an I-lived-to-tell-about-it or I-survived-in-spite-of-it ending. Tonia wants to offer and spread this restorative, social healing experience to larger communities of color on a regular basis. And there’s something else.
When, for example, an African American, Asian or Latinx person tells a story and there are only white actors on stage to play the story back, the actors may do a superb job of honoring the story. But there’s an added element of authenticity, relate-ability and truth that gets communicated when the actor resembles the teller from a racial or cultural point of view. There is a subtle but powerful “mirroring” effect that a white actor just cannot do for a person of color (or vice versa), no matter how skilled and dedicated they may be.
So, Tonia decided to create a project where people of color can be trained and eventually perform for audiences of color to spread the healing effects, lift hearts, build community, and give these audiences the experience of seeing themselves represented on stage. The long-term vision is to create a performing ensemble with a racially and culturally diverse group of actors.
Tonia Pinheiro has been a musical performer all of her life, singing with The Indigos, Goddess Gospel, Improvelocity and East Coast Chant. In 1997 she began the study of improv acting with Daena Giardella and has also studied vocal improv with Rhiannon and Joey Blake. In 2003 she joined True Story Theater, a Playback Theatre company based in Arlington MA.
Playback is a form of improvisational theater where the actors listen to the personal stories of volunteers from the audience. Then the “teller” of the story gets to watch their story acted out with respect, care and artistic flourish. Playback Theatre was founded in 1975 by Jonathan Fox and Jo Salas and you can learn more about it here http://playbacktheatre.org and here http://www.playbackcentre.org/.
Tonia has maintained her improv theater practice through various projects including Iseeu Theater Project for People of Color, Boston Transformational Theater, Indescribable Improv, Open Hearth, Dramatic Insight, Drama of Medical Encounters, T.A.L.K. Project) and by teaching improv and Playback to adults, teens and children (Bikes Not Bombs Girls in Action program, Close to Home - Youth Dating Violence, Bay State Prison Lifers, Women Ex-Offenders Recovery Project, Riverside Theater Girls Improv, Hyde Square Task Force Teen Awareness of Sexual Harassment, Project Rethink Teen Empowerment Program, New Orleans LA, Citi Performing Arts Center Teen Leaders program, and more.
Tonia is a microcosm of cultural, racial, socio-economic and spiritual diversity. This diversity informs both her artistic expressions and professional work with others. As a person of multi-racial descent, she has made a lifelong commitment to harmonizing the challenging and complex legacies of her blood lines, soul lineage, and life experiences.
WHAT MOTIVATED THIS PROJECT
Tonia: “I traveled to Brazil in the early 1990s with a Brazilian friend of European descent. Most Brazilians are a combination of European, Indigenous, and African bloodlines. One morning, we left early for the train on the public transit system in Sao Paulo. As we entered the flow of people going to work I was struck by how much they looked like me and I looked like them. Medium brown skin, dark hair. I became acutely aware that my tall “white” friend actually stood out in this sea of “brown” people, and I blended in and disappeared. This was a revelation! I don’t stand out. I’m one of the many. No one is noticing me. That was when I realized that I had a constant, unconscious awareness of standing out in the “white” crowd of the dominant U.S. culture. Being highly visible (because I don’t blend in visually) requires that I speak and behave in ways that draw little or no attention to the fact that I look different. Hopefully I’ll just fit into the white culture and therefore be acceptable. This awareness culminated with a realization in the Sao Paolo train station: Oh, so this is how white people must feel in the United States. Where ever they go, there they are! How comforting it is to be mirrored so clearly by the people around you.”
Over the course of her years with True Story Theater, Tonia noticed a few things. Most audiences that come to the public Playback shows are of Caucasian/European descent. When True Story Theater has performed for audiences that are mostly or completely people of color, there is a visceral response by the people in the audience that they are now free to share what’s in their hearts, in front of interested others. And they share incredibly deep, often traumatic events, some with an I-lived-to-tell-about-it or I-survived-in-spite-of-it ending. Tonia wants to offer and spread this restorative, social healing experience to larger communities of color on a regular basis. And there’s something else.
When, for example, an African American, Asian or Latinx person tells a story and there are only white actors on stage to play the story back, the actors may do a superb job of honoring the story. But there’s an added element of authenticity, relate-ability and truth that gets communicated when the actor resembles the teller from a racial or cultural point of view. There is a subtle but powerful “mirroring” effect that a white actor just cannot do for a person of color (or vice versa), no matter how skilled and dedicated they may be.
So, Tonia decided to create a project where people of color can be trained and eventually perform for audiences of color to spread the healing effects, lift hearts, build community, and give these audiences the experience of seeing themselves represented on stage. The long-term vision is to create a performing ensemble with a racially and culturally diverse group of actors.
DETAILS FOR ALL CLASSES
SCHEDULE & LOCATION
Pittsfield location details provided with registration confirmation. Subsequent courses will be held throughout the year for continuing and beginning students. Go to the Calendar of Events page for information about the next class.
ATTENDANCE AGREEMENT
The people in the class are bonding and building trust with each other, class by class. If you are admitted into the class you must agree to make the class your attendance priority. (Of course, unforeseen circumstances may prevent you from attending a class but the idea is to make the class your priority; and to contact Tonia about your absence as soon as you know).
CLASS SIZE & NUMBER
Minimum of 6 students, maximum of 16.
Note: Teens under age 18 need written permission from parent or care giver.
REGISTRATION & DISCLAIMER
You must register well in advance for the free class and/or the class series. Email Tonia at least 7 days before start of class at WakeUpWorks @ gmail.com to request a registration form. Include your full name and telephone number in the email. Return completed form at least 5 days before start of class. Your registration form must be received and approved by Tonia before you can attend the class. Understand that Tonia Pinheiro, Iseeu Theater, and the owner of the space we use, assume no liability or responsibility for any risks, injuries, damages, or loss which the participant might incur in this practice.
SCHEDULE & LOCATION
Pittsfield location details provided with registration confirmation. Subsequent courses will be held throughout the year for continuing and beginning students. Go to the Calendar of Events page for information about the next class.
ATTENDANCE AGREEMENT
The people in the class are bonding and building trust with each other, class by class. If you are admitted into the class you must agree to make the class your attendance priority. (Of course, unforeseen circumstances may prevent you from attending a class but the idea is to make the class your priority; and to contact Tonia about your absence as soon as you know).
CLASS SIZE & NUMBER
Minimum of 6 students, maximum of 16.
Note: Teens under age 18 need written permission from parent or care giver.
REGISTRATION & DISCLAIMER
You must register well in advance for the free class and/or the class series. Email Tonia at least 7 days before start of class at WakeUpWorks @ gmail.com to request a registration form. Include your full name and telephone number in the email. Return completed form at least 5 days before start of class. Your registration form must be received and approved by Tonia before you can attend the class. Understand that Tonia Pinheiro, Iseeu Theater, and the owner of the space we use, assume no liability or responsibility for any risks, injuries, damages, or loss which the participant might incur in this practice.
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Dairy Queen [5:45]: (c) 2005 Improvelocity. Improvised lyrics sung by Tonia. Improvised music by Joel Cohen, cello; Jurgen Kern, keyboard. Improvised vocals: Andrea Loretz-Frey & Murray Kidd. This unedited track was recorded live at an Improvelocity rehearsal 4-22-05.
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