Playback Theatre, Autoethnography and Generosity

Abstract

The article reflects on practice as a playback theatre practitioner using the research methodology of autoethnography. The paper explores how generosity can help alleviate egocentric tendencies as an actor and overreliance on technique as a conductor. It considers generosity as central to cultivating the playback spirit and evidences how their understanding of generosity has impacted on their development as a playback practitioner. Generosity is considered as the catalyst for being able to forge more honest relationships with the teller and audience. The article furthers the thinking on how focussing on others helps facilitate ‘letting go’ of habitual patterns in the different context of dramatherapy practice. The therapeutic dynamic is considered, reflecting on how the author is more open, vulnerable and honest with clients as a consequence of their learning as a playback practitioner.