Playback theatre is dedicated to the idea that everyone has a story and every voice deserves to be heard. Unhappily, our societies often discourage individuals from certain groups from speaking up because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, or economic class. These patterns of suppression become so ingrained that they are hardly noticed–except by those who must suffer on a daily basis because of them.

At the Centre for Playback Theatre we are committed to do our best not to perpetuate these patterns of social injustice. We also believe that to be an effective playback theatre practitioner, an awareness of how social oppression works is essential to facilitating audiences and building a successful company life. We recognize that the social realities of race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, and nationality have a strong impact on the development of a group, its openness to diverse membership, and its ability to welcome all tellers and their stories. To put it bluntly, if you do not possess the skills as a playbacker to work with these issues, then significant segments of the population will never want to tell a story with you onstage—and you won’t even notice.

This is why we want you to educate yourselves about social issues. A number of you have asked, what can you do to meet the requirement for Leadership. Here are some suggestions:

The best way to learn is from life itself. Get to know people very different from you. Volunteer. “Walk across the bridge to the other side.”

Take a class or workshop. Keep your eye out for what might be offered. You will know when you see the one that might be right for you because your heart will start to beat faster.

Read. We can offer some titles, but there will be books in your own languages, with reference to your own regional history. So we encourage you to find your own readings. But here are some suggestions:

• A book about war and its aftermath anywhere in Europe (or the world);
• A book about refugees and immigrants;
• Writings about and divisive social issues in your own culture.

You might also consider reading any of the following:

Chang, Iris. Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust Of World War II. New York: Basic Books, 1997.

Cohen, Cynthia E., et. Al. Acting Together: Performance and the Creative Transformation of Conflict, Vols. I & II (see http://www.brandeis.edu/ethics/peacebuildingarts/actingtogether/index.html). Includes chapters on Balkans, Sri Lanka, Peru. Volume II has a chapter on PT with reference to Afghanistan.

Fox, Jonathan. Playback Theatre in Burundi: Can Theatre Transcend the Gap? The Applied Theatre Reader. Preston, S & Prentki, T., Eds. (London: Rutledge, 2007).

Hosking, Bev & Jenny Hutt. “Playback Theatre: A Creative Resource for Reconciliation.” Working paper of the Recasting Reconciliation through Culture and the Arts fellowship program, Center for Ethics, Justice & Public Life, Brandeis University: http://www.brandeis.edu/programs/Slifka/vrc/papers/index.html

Kivel, Paul. Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Racial Justice. 3rd. Ed. New Society Publishers, 2011.

Krog, Antjie. Country of My Skull: Guilt, Sorrow, and the Limits of Forgiveness in the New South Africa. New York: Broadway Books, 2000.

Lederach, John Paul. Moral Imagination. Washington, DC.: US Institutes of Peace Press, 1997.

Leondar-Wright, Betsy. Class Matters: Cross-Class Alliance Building for Middle-Class Activists New Society Publishers, 2005.

Leticia Nieto, et. al. Beyond Inclusion, Beyond Empowerment: A Developmental Strategy to Liberate Everyone, Cuetzpalin Publishing. US, 2010

Tatum, Beverly Daniel. “Why are all the Black Kids sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” and Other Conversations about Race. New York Basic Books, 1997.

Salas, Jo. Playback Theatre, Diversity and Two Economies. (http://playbacktheatre.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/JoSalas.pdf).

Stout, Linda. Bridging the Class Divide. Boston: Beacon Press, 1997.

Wiesel, Elie. Night. Ed. New York: Hill & Wang, 2006.

We will be grateful if you send usthe title of any enlightening book you read, so that we can build a good world-wide list of titles.