Dan Collinson.  For more than 4 years now Dan Collinson has been an enthusiastic improviser. Being introduced to Interplay in 2003, and Contact Improvisation in 2005, his passion for creative, authentic expression has grown and developed, drawing him to Playback Theatre in late 2006.  "Deep down, I believe that everyone yearns for what they say to be heard and validated. In Playback Theatre, you see this in action, when what you share literally comes to life!" Dan works as a Physiotherapist and Pilates instructor, and also teaches Interplay to both children and adults.

 

 

Julia Dilli has been with PaperBag since its inception in 1997, over which time she has witnessed both professional and personal development through the application of group process and the facilitation of story telling.  Julia commenced acting and drama studies in her teens, and built upon this through academic studies culminating in a Grad. Dip. Ed. in Drama and English.  She has trained with the Drama Action Centre as well as undertaking other training opportunities in movement and voice.  While continuing to develop her lifelong passion for the expressive arts, Julia also works as a Diversional Therapist in mental health and as a Systematic Therapist.

 

 

Edwina Donald.  Edwina has always experienced an inexplicably deep love of, and freedom in, the sacred ritual space of performance, and from an early age has been captured by the potency of its transformative power, for both performers and audience.  In her younger years she grew up on a performance diet of Shakespeare, and followed the call of scripted theatre, which led her to study a Bachelor of Creative Arts in performance.  This study opened her to exploring other areas of performance, pursuing vocal development and the freedom of song, song writing, and nurturing a growing vision in working with communities and individuals to empower social change in creative ways, drawing on the rich wisdom of traditional roots with contemporary relevance.  In this vision she found her way to PaperBag PlayBack theatre, and in doing so, began the journey toward uncovering the incredible potential of a form which combines the freedom, humour and playful spontaneity of improvisation, with the profundity and realness of working with the audiences' and our own actual living stories.  Currently Edwina is studying postgraduate Diploma of Counselling, and pursues other performance ventures and anti-war and environmental activism.  She has been with PaperBag since early 2006.

 

 

Janet Linnell.  Janet was introduced to spontaneous theatre in 1982 through Sydney Drama Action.  Since that time she has continued to train across the arts in areas including voice, mask work, movement and dance.  Janet was drawn to Playback because of the heart-warming way it brings together actors and audience to co-create theatre right in the moment. “I love Playback because it searches out the truth of each story in a form of theatre which is respectful, edgy, and entertaining”.  Janet is a trained Somatic Therapist and has also trained in Psychodrama. She has been a member of Paperbag since 2002.

 

 

Brendan McPhillips.  Brendan has been involved in the world of improvised theatre for the past 12 years and specifically in playback theatre since 2000. He trained with Drama Action in the early 90’s and developed a passion for performance using the techniques of spontaneous response. He is deeply committed to the process of playback, which he sees as a vehicle for valuing and honouring the ‘everyday’ stories that make up and transform our lives. 

 

 

Peter O'Connell.  For over a decade now Peter has worked as a facilitator with both community and corporate groups. He has been an active playback performer and conductor since early 2000, first with Hunter Region Playback Theatre, and more recently with PaperBag PlayBack.  Accredited with the Australian Institute of Group Leaders (AIGL), and an adherent to the principles and practices of Open Space Technology, he strives to create spaces as catalysts for participants to discover and optimise their full and collective potential. "For me Playback offers an elegant and powerful way for groups to gain a greater appreciation of what it is that they share in common". As part of his recent postgraduate studies in Alternative Dispute Resolution Peter explored the relationship between conflict resolution, group processes, and action methods including Playback.

 

 

Jackie Rawlings started dancing at the age of 3 and by 15 was teaching dance and movement. Today, in addition to being a painter, musician and mother, Jackie is Choreographer, Principal Adjudicator and Teacher Trainer for the Australian BjP School of Physical Culture.  Jackie loves Playback Theatre because it continues the ancient tradition of telling and performing stories as a means of cultural sharing.  “To play back someone’s story is to give them a gift – to hold up a mirror and show them what their life looks like from the other side”.  Jackie has been a member of PaperBag since 2004.

 

 

Sally Swain was fortunate to be encouraged from an early age to paint, write, sing, dance and put on plays in the garden shed. She is the creator of four books, including ‘Great Housewives of Art’ and ‘Once upon a Picture’. She runs Art and Soul - helping individuals and groups free up creatively. At a 40th birthday party in the early 1990s Sally found herself playing an 8 year old ‘fortune teller’. While she had never seen Playback before, she loved the feeling of being immersed in deep play and being able to offer something of value to others at the same time. Drama Action, Playback and Psychodrama training followed, and in 1997 Sally initiated PaperBag Playback.  She is delighted that the troupe continues to go from strength to strength, and still loves the fabulous combination of self-expression and service to others.  Sally holds a BA Hons Psych, Dip Ed Art, and is an accredited Hart Life coach.

 

 

Warren Werksman is a counselling psychologist with a passion for intuitive and improvised theatre.  He has focused on performance that captures personal experience through various expressive media including physical theatre, dance, spoken word and acrobatics.  For Warren improvised theatre captures a creative flow that is present both to the actor and the audience member.  “It is charged, emotional, evocative, and often humorous and playful.  I want the audience to leave my performances, having engaged in a unique personal experience!" Warren has been with PaperBag since 2006.