Image via Playback Theatre
Playback Theatre
There is often a desire amongst creatives to connect; whether that be with an audience, their innermost desires, or just about anyone to listen. Playback Theatre looks to connect humans with one another through kindness via performances of improvisational theater. On February 16, that initiative will take place at Marquette University’s Alumni Memorial Union.
Actor Raphael Engel will be joined by Milwaukee native Paul McComas, who first encountered Engel in 1971 by seeing him in the cult classic Dracula vs. Frankenstein. Fast forward to 2022, and McComas, who has an extensive background in production, asked Engel to voice a Dracula character for an animated adaptation of his 2002 novel Unplugged. A post-recording chat ultimately led to the idea of bringing Playback Theatre to Milwaukee.
“We got to talking, actor-to-actor and activist-to-activist. I'm fascinated by Global Playback, which operates—just as I try to do in my own work—at the juncture of arts/entertainment and helping/healing” said McComas.
In more than five decades of performances, Playback has performed in over 50 countries, with hundreds of actors contributing their talents to improvised sketches. Programs like the upcoming one in Milwaukee will tackle themes of spreading kindness, just as they did around the production’s origin. Engel will play the role of Dracula at Marquette, as a nod to his original bond with McComas. The two will be joined by Chicago-based actors Allison Sokolowski and Clarissa Worcester, who perform regularly in Chicago under the Playback umbrella of troupes.
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“(Playback Theatre) offers people hope through acts of kindness large and small while planting seeds that generate optimism and positivity” said Engel. “We seek to address challenges in a personal, heart-centered way by bringing our human concerns to the stage—and, thus, to the surface—to promote dialogue among people from all walks of life.”
Admission is free for the 6-7:30 p.m. February 16 performance at Marquette Alumni Memorial Union Room 227. Donations will be accepted to benefit the Marquette Center for Peacemaking, who are presenting this edition of Playback Theatre. For more information about Playback Theatre, visit the organization’s website.