Did you hear what a group of US and MS students did on their day off from school? 

Led by US students Walter Ellis ’16, Imani Pugh ’17, Sophia Houdaigui ’17, and Maddie Paulsen ’17, 28 MS students spent five hours of their day off from school to learn some tricks of the trade performing Playback Theatre. Playback is a theatre of immediacy in which audience members share stories and then watch them being replayed by an ensemble of actors. Walter, Imani, Sophia, and Maddie are members of the US troupe “Friendly Rewinders Playback.” The 8th graders are in “Vertical Voices Playback Theatre,” now in its 10th year at SFS. 

Students in MS learn Playback Theatre in the 7th grade course “Quakerism and the Arts.” In 8th grade, students are invited to participate in “Vertical Voices” to continue to use Playback as a means of connecting with the community. US students participate in “Friendly Rewinders Playback.” Playback Theatre, based on real-life experiences of the audience, promotes the right for any voice to be heard, brings group concerns to the surface, and stimulates dialogue where different voices are visible. 

— Tim Reagan, Middle School Drama Teacher