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Dear Vertical Voices IX company members and parents:
Congratulations on your final Playback performance today – this time for your peers in 8th grade.  It’s been a pleasure witnessing your growth as storytellers and story listeners, replaying with genuine enthusiasm and grace a myriad of personal memories and events shared by audience members.
I hope you consider getting involved with the Upper School Playback troupe, Friendly Rewinders.  All VVIX company members will receive an email from an Upper School Playback performer inviting you to participate in the group.  You will also be invited to join the Facebook group “Friendly Rewinders Playback.”  Connecting with Friendly Rewinders will be a great way to jump into life in the US.  There will be a number of opportunities for Friendly Rewinders to perform, including for 7th grade orientation and the all-day training retreat for the next Vertical Voices Playback Company.  I anticipate the school’s new director of equity, social justice, and community, Philip McAdoo, to embrace the mission of Playback Theatre at SFS, which is to bring unheard voices together through the magic of social interaction, ritual, and community.  You’ll surely have many opportunities to continue your work as savvy and thoughtful Playbackers!
As you know, I received my PhD in May.  It was a challenging and difficult journey, especially with the research I conducted of an anti-bullying Playback Theatre program for youth residing at the Coachman Family Center in White Plains, NY.  I’m a firm believer in adolescents performing Playback – which is rather groundbreaking, since youth are generally relegated to the audience, and not onstage as performers.  Sidwell Friends School is at the forefront of the field of promoting Playback with students as performers.  We’re one of the few student Playback groups in the world!
I’d like to let you know more about what I’ll be up to with Playback in the upcoming months.  I’m sharing this because I know that this will be the last formal time I’ll be in touch with VVIX company members before everyone makes the big move to high school.
In June, I teach Core Training for the Centre for Playback Theatre in NYC.  http://www.playbackcentre.org/core-training-nyc-summer-2015/
In July, I present my doctoral research in the form of an ethnodrama at the International Playback Theatre Network conference in Montreal in “Get Connected:  #teenplayback.”  Go to:  http://iptn-conference.org/2015/main-menu/day-2.
In August, I team up with fellow drama teacher and Playbacker Charlotte Daugherty from Mary Institute and Country Day School (St. Louis, MO.) to present a workshop on Playback for educators at the American Alliance for Theatre and Education conference in Milwaukee.
In January, my book chapter “Personal Stories as Motivators:  The Playback Theatre Experience” will appear in “Arts Integration in Education:  Teachers and Teaching Artists as Agents of Change – Theory, Impact, and Practice,” edited by Humphries-Mardirosian and Lewis, published by Intellect.  Here’s a link:  http://www.amazon.com/Arts-Integration-Education-Teachers-Intellect/dp/1783205253/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid33426930&sr=8-1&keywords=arts+integration+in+education+teachers+and+teaching+artists+as+agents+of+change [external link removed]
Can you tell how passionate I am about Playback Theatre?  What continues to inspire me as an artist and educator is how well you all embrace the technique while selflessly replaying personal stories with compassion, integrity, and creativity!
I want you to know that 2015 marks the 40th anniversary of Playback Theatre.  In celebration of this momentous occasion, the Centre for Playback Theatre (http://www.playbackcentre.org/) will be holding an online auction with items from Playback Theatre practitioners and supporters from all over the world.  Proceeds from the auction will assist the Centre for Playback Theatre in continuing to provide quality life-changing courses to more locations worldwide – extending the many benefits of Playback Theatre.  I graduated from the Centre several years ago, and my fellow classmates were from many different countries, including Amsterdam, Singapore, Japan, Nepal, and Taiwan, to name few.  If you are able to support the mission of the Centre, I ask that you visit their site and consider making a donation.  Auction link:  http://www.playbackcentre.org/cpt-celebrates-40th/.
It’s been a privilege working (and playing!) with you this year.  Your devotion to the troupe has been remarkable.  I’m so proud of each and every one of you!  Thank you so much for getting involved with Vertical Voices this year.  I hope you continue to “Play it forward” with Playback.  This work is very important – and fun!
Best wishes for a great summer and high school career!
Tim Reagan</