The Jubilee Troupe

Peacemaking Journeys

The first full-length performance of the Jubilee Troupe, Peacemaking Journeys was performed in collaboration with Dumbarton Playback of Washington, DC on May 22, 2004. It was an evening of stories and Playback Theater drawing from stories of audience members about their own work for a better world. Judging from the audience response and cast performance, the stories and Playback yielded a rich harvest of inspiration and enthusiasm for all.

Hosted by the Washington City Church of the Brethren Peace Lectureship, the performance was conducted by Dumbarton Playback director Arlene Kiely, also an advisor to the Jubilee Troupe. Drawing on ten years of Playback Theater experience, Arlene expertly guided the audience of over fifty people through their stories while also directing with finesse a combined cast performing together for the first time.

Audience Stories

Facilitated by Arlene's questions to the audience about their peacemaking experiences, stories began to flow. Members of the audience shared short and longer stories, from locker room confrontations to experiences of being African American in Europe, from seeing South African Apartheid firsthand to reconciling a troubled mother-daughter relationship. The evening of stories concluded with a poignant dream played back without words, a dream set in a prison about the triumph of life-affirming love over hatred.

Let's watch!

Short forms such as this fluid sculpture helped to reflect basic feelings and ideas that the audience shared. Here Joan Countryman, Shalom Black, Raymond Rivera and Chris Palsgrove reflect a feeling. Can you guess it?

Chris Fitz, Joan and Gloria Newton play back a short story of one person's peacemaking in a high school locker room.

Learning the "beat" of Apartheid South Africa: Gaye Meyer, Joan, Shalom, Chris Palsgrove and Chris Fitz.

Chaos in the house as mother and daughter argue amidst their grandson's/son's frantic carousing: Joan, Raymond and Shalom.

Pondering the life and death of mother - and their relationship: Shalom and cast.

The final story; a dream about the failure of revenge: Arlene interviews David.

Giving up a hidden knife to the prison guard. What will happen? David Rice plays the teller alongside Raymond, Joan, Chris Palsgrove and Gloria.

On Stage

In addition to the crucial conducting of Arlene Kiely, Gaye Meyer of Dumbarton Playback provided a special contribution to the evening by choreographing the introductory pieces. Jubilee Troupe director Chris Fitz conducted the closing moments of the performance, sending the audience and cast with a simple chant that all joined.

Also on stage were Joan Countryman and David Rice from Dumbarton Playback alongside Shalom Black, Gloria Newton, Chris Palsgrove and Raymond Rivera from the Jubilee Troupe. Notably Gloria Newton joined the event from Pasadena, California while Raymond Rivera made his Playback debut in Peacemaking Journeys.

Workshop

Peacemaking Journeys was prepared in an all-day workshop in which Dumbarton Playback and the Jubilee Troupe met, played and worked together for the first time. A group diverse in age, walks of life and background, the nine players practiced familiar improvisational Playback forms while learning new pieces for use in the evening's performance. It was an intensive and valuable opportunity to learn new forms, gain a sense of group ensemble and understand the ways in which improvisational arts have powerful emotional and spiritual implications.

Gratitude

Peacemaking Journeys was made possible through the many hands of volunteers: Ruth Hoover for her exceptional organizing talents; Kurt Pluntke and MaryAnn Zehr for the wonderful reception spread and welcoming home; Tina Romero-Ito for a yummy dinner and greetings; Terry Lewis, Fred and Gwen Miller for staging assistance; and Elizabeth Todd, Alice Martin-Adkins, Shalom Black and many other members of the Washington City Church of the Brethren for food, hosting, event promotion and help where it was needed.

Thanks also to contributors to the Leona Row Eller Peace Lectureship of the Washington Church of the Brethren that made this event possible.

See the Peacemaking Journeys flyer and other event publicity.

Invite Peacemaking Journeys to your community.

Be part of the transforming arts.


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