ISEEU THEATER
"Your Story Is Our Script"
Tonia Pinheiro, Founder & Director
IseeuTheater @ gmail.com | 781-963-3299
Click here for Iseeu Training Information & Calendar
Iseeu Theater uses improvisation as a human way to tell stories, a human way to listen deeply, a human way to be seen and heard, a human way to know truth, a human way to heal hearts, a human way to feel loved, a human way to know Self, a human way to build connections, a human way to laugh and share, a human way to live in community, a human way to express Divine Presence.
MISSION
The mission of Iseeu Theater is to awaken and liberate spiritual presence in human expression.
Through the artistic practice of improvisational theater, we dissolve fear and build trust on stage,
within self and in relationship with others.
When spoken, Iseeu sounds like “I See You” or “I.C.U.” - Intensive Care Unit.
Our name communicates our core purpose: to create experiences of feeling truly seen and deeply cared about through the art, practice and performance of improvisational theater and Playback Theatre.
You're invited to express yourself! Have fun! Listen better! Gain confidence! Surprise yourself!
Learn to tell your stories and the stories of others using improvisational theater.
Challenge fear with presence! Turn beliefs into food for thought!
Improv . . . It’s Not What You Think!
MISSION
The mission of Iseeu Theater is to awaken and liberate spiritual presence in human expression.
Through the artistic practice of improvisational theater, we dissolve fear and build trust on stage,
within self and in relationship with others.
When spoken, Iseeu sounds like “I See You” or “I.C.U.” - Intensive Care Unit.
Our name communicates our core purpose: to create experiences of feeling truly seen and deeply cared about through the art, practice and performance of improvisational theater and Playback Theatre.
You're invited to express yourself! Have fun! Listen better! Gain confidence! Surprise yourself!
Learn to tell your stories and the stories of others using improvisational theater.
Challenge fear with presence! Turn beliefs into food for thought!
Improv . . . It’s Not What You Think!
IS IMPROVISATION AND PLAYBACK FOR YOU?
We’ve all felt the powerful effect of stories told on television, in the movies, and on stage – and some of us have heard deeply moving stories told around the kitchen table, at work or at a gathering of friends and family.
We all have stories to tell . . . stories of joy, stories of abuse, stories of shame, stories of liberation, stories of laughter, stories of loss, stories of love, stories of hitting bottom, stories of wisdom, stories of strange encounters, stories of unexpected outcomes, stories of war, stories of success, stories of betrayal, stories of courage, stories of incarceration, stories of addiction, stories of grace, stories of spirit . . . Our stories - of life and living.
Most of us wish someone would understand, really understand, who we are, what we’ve been through – or what we’re going through right now . . . because in that understanding there's a feeling of validation, a feeling that you’re not alone, a feeling that you matter, a feeling that someone really sees the hidden you.
Some of us wish the stories we have to tell could be heard by more people . . . because we know they could learn from our experiences and we could show them that someone else has walked in their shoes.
Some of us [secretly or openly] also wish we could be on stage to tell our own stories, or the stories of others... because we have a strong desire to express ourselves in that creative way and the stage gives us permission to do it without holding back.
To learn this art form you don’t have to be an actor, though you could be. Mostly you have to want to learn the unique skills of improvisation, which requires courage. Courage to enter the unknown. Courage to take risks. Courage to trust. Courage to let go. Courage to allow. Courage to stay in the moment. Courage to listen deeply. Courage to try something new, all the time. Courage to stretch or reinvent your self-image. Courage to be silly. Courage to get it wrong. Courage to allow the ‘impulse’ to have expression. Courage to explore what’s under the surface. Courage to show your heart. Courage to share your feelings. Courage to let others lead. Courage to let others follow. Courage. And then there’s Creativity.
In the process you’ll uncover your authentic Self - the real you under the defenses, beliefs and images created to protect yourself from pain, fear, betrayal, loss, mistrust, shame, and all the other feelings that cause us to close up so we don’t get hurt. You should also know that the improvisation used for ISEEU Theater is not specifically comedy improv though what we create might be funny and we’ll have fun in the practice of learning. This improv is designed for community service and social healing . . . a gift to the audience and the tellers of personal stories.
We’ve all felt the powerful effect of stories told on television, in the movies, and on stage – and some of us have heard deeply moving stories told around the kitchen table, at work or at a gathering of friends and family.
We all have stories to tell . . . stories of joy, stories of abuse, stories of shame, stories of liberation, stories of laughter, stories of loss, stories of love, stories of hitting bottom, stories of wisdom, stories of strange encounters, stories of unexpected outcomes, stories of war, stories of success, stories of betrayal, stories of courage, stories of incarceration, stories of addiction, stories of grace, stories of spirit . . . Our stories - of life and living.
Most of us wish someone would understand, really understand, who we are, what we’ve been through – or what we’re going through right now . . . because in that understanding there's a feeling of validation, a feeling that you’re not alone, a feeling that you matter, a feeling that someone really sees the hidden you.
Some of us wish the stories we have to tell could be heard by more people . . . because we know they could learn from our experiences and we could show them that someone else has walked in their shoes.
Some of us [secretly or openly] also wish we could be on stage to tell our own stories, or the stories of others... because we have a strong desire to express ourselves in that creative way and the stage gives us permission to do it without holding back.
To learn this art form you don’t have to be an actor, though you could be. Mostly you have to want to learn the unique skills of improvisation, which requires courage. Courage to enter the unknown. Courage to take risks. Courage to trust. Courage to let go. Courage to allow. Courage to stay in the moment. Courage to listen deeply. Courage to try something new, all the time. Courage to stretch or reinvent your self-image. Courage to be silly. Courage to get it wrong. Courage to allow the ‘impulse’ to have expression. Courage to explore what’s under the surface. Courage to show your heart. Courage to share your feelings. Courage to let others lead. Courage to let others follow. Courage. And then there’s Creativity.
In the process you’ll uncover your authentic Self - the real you under the defenses, beliefs and images created to protect yourself from pain, fear, betrayal, loss, mistrust, shame, and all the other feelings that cause us to close up so we don’t get hurt. You should also know that the improvisation used for ISEEU Theater is not specifically comedy improv though what we create might be funny and we’ll have fun in the practice of learning. This improv is designed for community service and social healing . . . a gift to the audience and the tellers of personal stories.
PEOPLE OF COLOR PROJECT
An Improvisational Acting and Playback Theatre Training Project for People of Color offered in partnership and with the support of True Story Theater.
This project was launched in 2011 to involve more people of color in the art, service, benefits, joy and satisfaction of the practice and performance of improvisational theater and Playback Theatre. This project is designed to give interested men, women and teens of color the opportunity to be trained as improv actors and eventually perform for audiences of color and the wider community. The performances are intended to spread the healing effects, lift hearts, build community, and give audience members the experience of seeing themselves, and their stories, represented on stage. (Scroll down to read WHAT MOTIVATED THIS PROJECT.)
The long-term vision is to create a performing ensemble and to open up this training to everyone who might be interested. For now though, the students being recruited are adults and mature young people who consider themselves people of color. People of color are people of any racial or cultural mix, who identify themselves as people of color and whose skin tones range from light honey to dark ebony.
The long-term vision is to create a performing ensemble and to open up this training to everyone who might be interested. For now though, the students being recruited are adults and mature young people who consider themselves people of color. People of color are people of any racial or cultural mix, who identify themselves as people of color and whose skin tones range from light honey to dark ebony.
“Your class was amazing! You made the process so fun and engaging.” – Lisa O.
PURPOSE, GOALS & OBJECTIVES of the PEOPLE OF COLOR PROJECT
PURPOSE:
TRAINING OBJECTIVES > SOCIAL HEALING through THEATER and Spirit-centered Acting:
PURPOSE:
- To involve more people of color in the art, service, benefits, creative expression, satisfaction, and joy that comes from the practice and performance of improvisational theater and Playback Theatre.
- Teach Improvisation & Playback Theatre skills to people of color using Spirit-centered, open-hearted teaching methods.
- Offer learning opportunities and performances that build greater understanding and more compassionate relationships between people and within communities, groups, and organizations.
TRAINING OBJECTIVES > SOCIAL HEALING through THEATER and Spirit-centered Acting:
- to teach improvisational acting skills;
- to teach Playback Theatre skills;
- to provide a safe container for student actors to reinvent and express themselves;
- to help student actors feel and understand the difference between spirit-centered acting and ego-centered acting using Iseeu Theater’s spirit-centered teaching methods.
- to practice cooperation, teamwork, deep listening, and respect for others through the way the actors work together on stage to create scenes or re-enact the stories being told.
- to create a more compassionate, understanding and connected community through the power of storytelling and improvisational theater;
- to provide a safe container for personal stories to be told and received;
- to honor those personal stories by bringing each story to life for the storyteller and the audience;
- to give the storyteller the healing gift of being seen and being heard (by the actors as well as the people present).
If you, or someone you know, might be interested in participating in the Iseeu Theater Training Project for People of Color
(see below), or supporting this project with a tax-deductible donation to True Story Theater
(to help with rent, scholarships, stipends, etc.), please contact Tonia.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(see below), or supporting this project with a tax-deductible donation to True Story Theater
(to help with rent, scholarships, stipends, etc.), please contact Tonia.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“I can only describe the ISEEU Classes as so much FUN! A friendly and inviting environment created by the instructor Tonia Pinheiro. Unbelievably interesting how I thought I knew myself, but this class challenges you to step deeper into knowing what you really feel and discover more about yourself. Naturally! Tonia is such a great teacher you begin to feel like a natural improvisationist! So come join the fun!” - DebRa H-B
WHAT TO EXPECT
For those who stick with it, Iseeu Theater’s spirit-centered training will develop you into a more aware, compassionate, centered person and a really good improv actor. For some, it will become a spiritual practice where a conscious connection with the Inner Divine is created and nurtured.
In this training you will:
For those who stick with it, Iseeu Theater’s spirit-centered training will develop you into a more aware, compassionate, centered person and a really good improv actor. For some, it will become a spiritual practice where a conscious connection with the Inner Divine is created and nurtured.
In this training you will:
- Play improv games and do exercises to practice concepts and to loosen up your body, voice and creativity.
- Learn the basics of improvisational acting to work together more easily with others on stage.
- Learn Playback Theatre forms to re-enact stories and feelings.
- Draw from your personal experiences to create characters and scenes.
- Learn to listen to yourself and others more deeply and carefully.
- Participate in building a more understanding and connected community.
- Experience the healing effect of the art of improvisation and Playback Theatre.
- Leave each class with renewed feelings of confidence, possibilities and connection.
A BIT MORE ABOUT PLAYBACK
Playback Theatre was founded in 1975 by Jonathan Fox and Jo Salas and is now practiced throughout the world. You can learn more about it here http://playbacktheatre.org and here http://www.playbackcentre.org/.
If you go to Youtube.com and type "Playback Theatre" in the search field, you can see lots of videos illustrating Playback and the props used (boxes, colored cloths, musical instruments). Here are 2 videos from Synergy in Action that explain Playback Theatre http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_hyFLVkojw [2:36] and capture personal testimonies from high school students in Washington DC about it's impact on them http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpreqmeeO_w [4:25].
Playback Theatre was founded in 1975 by Jonathan Fox and Jo Salas and is now practiced throughout the world. You can learn more about it here http://playbacktheatre.org and here http://www.playbackcentre.org/.
If you go to Youtube.com and type "Playback Theatre" in the search field, you can see lots of videos illustrating Playback and the props used (boxes, colored cloths, musical instruments). Here are 2 videos from Synergy in Action that explain Playback Theatre http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_hyFLVkojw [2:36] and capture personal testimonies from high school students in Washington DC about it's impact on them http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpreqmeeO_w [4:25].
So, what might you feel as a storyteller, when you watch a small group of ordinary people like yourself listen attentively with care and respect to your story - then instantly turn your story into a brief theatrical scene about you and the story you just told?
And what might you feel as an actor who becomes the teller, another character, or even an important environmental element in that story?
And what might you feel as an actor who becomes the teller, another character, or even an important environmental element in that story?
|
As the Storyteller
watching the actors you might feel heard feel seen feel moved feel valued feel they “get” you feel liberated from the past feel grateful feel healed feel joy! |
As an Actor
playing back this personal story you might feel honored and responsible feel nervous or self-conscious feel inspired feel connected feel you’ve found your voice feel liberated from internal pressures feel freedom feel alive feel satisfaction! |
A True Story Theater Playback moment - Let's Watch!
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE in the PEOPLE OF COLOR PROJECT?
Adults and mature teens who consider themselves people of color and are interested in learning improvisational acting and Playback Theatre skills. People of color are people of any racial or cultural mix, who identify themselves as people of color, and whose skin tones range from light honey to dark ebony.
SCHEDULE & LOCATION
Location details provided with registration confirmation. Subsequent courses will be held throughout the year for continuing and beginning students. Go to the Iseeu Training page for information about the next class.
ATTENDANCE AGREEMENT
The people in the class are bonding and building trust with each other, class by class. If you are admitted into the class you must agree to make the class your attendance priority. (Of course, unforeseen circumstances may prevent you from attending a class but the idea is to make the class your priority; and to contact Tonia about your absence as soon as you know).
CLASS SIZE & NUMBER
Minimum of 8 students, maximum of 20.
Note: Teens under age 18 need written permission from parent or care giver.
REGISTRATION & DISCLAIMER
You must register well in advance for the free class and/or the class series. Email Tonia at least 7 days before start of class at IseeuTheater @ gmail.com to request a registration form. Include your full name and telephone number in the email. Return completed form at least 5 days before start of class. Your registration form must be received and approved by Tonia before you can attend the class. Understand that Tonia Pinheiro, Iseeu Theater, and the owner of the space we use assume no liability or responsibility for any risks, injuries, damages, or loss which the participant might incur in this practice.
TUITION for People of Color Project*
Tuition is posted in the course description on the Iseeu Training page. You are encouraged to contact Tonia if you want to take the class and have financial or other needs that might prevent your attendance.
*If you have the means to provide a scholarship for another student please contact Tonia.
Adults and mature teens who consider themselves people of color and are interested in learning improvisational acting and Playback Theatre skills. People of color are people of any racial or cultural mix, who identify themselves as people of color, and whose skin tones range from light honey to dark ebony.
SCHEDULE & LOCATION
Location details provided with registration confirmation. Subsequent courses will be held throughout the year for continuing and beginning students. Go to the Iseeu Training page for information about the next class.
ATTENDANCE AGREEMENT
The people in the class are bonding and building trust with each other, class by class. If you are admitted into the class you must agree to make the class your attendance priority. (Of course, unforeseen circumstances may prevent you from attending a class but the idea is to make the class your priority; and to contact Tonia about your absence as soon as you know).
CLASS SIZE & NUMBER
Minimum of 8 students, maximum of 20.
Note: Teens under age 18 need written permission from parent or care giver.
REGISTRATION & DISCLAIMER
You must register well in advance for the free class and/or the class series. Email Tonia at least 7 days before start of class at IseeuTheater @ gmail.com to request a registration form. Include your full name and telephone number in the email. Return completed form at least 5 days before start of class. Your registration form must be received and approved by Tonia before you can attend the class. Understand that Tonia Pinheiro, Iseeu Theater, and the owner of the space we use assume no liability or responsibility for any risks, injuries, damages, or loss which the participant might incur in this practice.
TUITION for People of Color Project*
Tuition is posted in the course description on the Iseeu Training page. You are encouraged to contact Tonia if you want to take the class and have financial or other needs that might prevent your attendance.
*If you have the means to provide a scholarship for another student please contact Tonia.
ABOUT TONIA & WHAT MOTIVATED THIS PROJECT
Tonia Pinheiro has been a musical performer all of her life singing with The Indigos, Goddess Gospel, Improvelocity and East Coast Chant. In 1997 she began the study of improv acting with Daena Giardella and has also studied vocal improv with Rhiannon and Joey Blake. In 2003 she joined True Story Theater, a Playback Theatre company based in Arlington MA. Playback is a form of improvisational theater where the actors listen to the personal stories of volunteers from the audience. Then the “teller” of the story gets to watch their story acted out with respect, care and a bit of artistic flourish. Playback Theatre was founded in 1975 by Jonathan Fox and Jo Salas and you can learn more about it here http://playbacktheatre.org and here http://www.playbackcentre.org/.
Tonia has maintained her improv theater practice through various projects (Boston Transformational Theater, Indescribable Improv, Open Hearth, Dramatic Insight, Drama of Medical Encounters, T.A.L.K. Project) and by teaching improv and Playback to adults, teens and children (Bikes Not Bombs Girls in Action program, Close to Home - Youth Dating Violence, Bay State Prison Lifers, Women Ex-Offenders Recovery Project, Riverside Theater Girls Improv, Hyde Square Task Force Teen Awareness of Sexual Harassment, Project Rethink Teen Empowerment Program, New Orleans LA, Citi Performing Arts Center Teen Leaders program, and more).
Tonia is a microcosm of cultural, racial, socio-economic and spiritual diversity. This diversity informs both her artistic expressions and professional work with others. As a person of multi-racial descent (African American, Native American, East Indian, European), she has made a lifelong commitment to harmonizing the challenging and complex legacies of her blood lines, soul lineage, and life experiences.
Tonia: “I traveled to Brazil in the early 1990s with a Brazilian friend of European descent. Most Brazilians are a combination of European, Indigenous, and African bloodlines. One morning, we left early for the train on the public transit system in Sao Paulo. As we entered the flow of people going to work I was struck by how much they looked like me and I looked like them. Medium brown skin, dark hair. I became acutely aware that my “white” friend actually stood out in this sea of “brown” people, and I blended in and disappeared. This was a revelation! I don’t stand out. I’m one of the many. No one is noticing me. That was when I realized that I had a constant, unconscious awareness of standing out in the “white” crowd of the dominant U.S. culture. Being highly visible (because I don’t blend in visually) requires that I speak and behave in ways that draw little or no attention to the fact that I look different. Hopefully I’ll just fit into the white culture and therefore be acceptable. This awareness culminated with a realization in the Sao Paolo train station: Oh, so this is how white people must feel in the United States. Where ever they go, there they are! How comforting to be mirrored so clearly by the people around you.”
Over the course of her years with True Story Theater, Tonia has noticed a couple of things. Most audiences that come to the public Playback shows are of Caucasian/European descent. When True Story Theater has performed for audiences that are mostly or completely people of color, there is a visceral response by the people in the audience that they are now free to share what’s in their hearts, in front of interested others. And they share incredibly deep, often traumatic events, some with an I-lived-to-tell-about-it or I-survived-in-spite-of-it ending. Tonia wants to offer and spread this restorative experience to larger communities of color on a regular basis. And there’s something else.
When, for example, an African American, Asian or Latino person tells a story and there are only white actors on stage to play the story back, the actors may do a superb job of honoring the story. But there’s an added element of authenticity, relate-ability and truth that gets communicated when the actor resembles the teller from a racial or cultural point of view. There is a subtle but powerful “mirroring” effect that a white actor just cannot do for a person of color (or vice versa), no matter how skilled and dedicated he or she may be.
So, Tonia decided to create a project where people of color can be trained and eventually perform for audiences of color to spread the healing effects, lift hearts, build community, and give these audiences the experience of seeing themselves represented on stage. The long-term vision is to create a performing ensemble with a racially and culturally diverse group of actors.
Tonia Pinheiro has been a musical performer all of her life singing with The Indigos, Goddess Gospel, Improvelocity and East Coast Chant. In 1997 she began the study of improv acting with Daena Giardella and has also studied vocal improv with Rhiannon and Joey Blake. In 2003 she joined True Story Theater, a Playback Theatre company based in Arlington MA. Playback is a form of improvisational theater where the actors listen to the personal stories of volunteers from the audience. Then the “teller” of the story gets to watch their story acted out with respect, care and a bit of artistic flourish. Playback Theatre was founded in 1975 by Jonathan Fox and Jo Salas and you can learn more about it here http://playbacktheatre.org and here http://www.playbackcentre.org/.
Tonia has maintained her improv theater practice through various projects (Boston Transformational Theater, Indescribable Improv, Open Hearth, Dramatic Insight, Drama of Medical Encounters, T.A.L.K. Project) and by teaching improv and Playback to adults, teens and children (Bikes Not Bombs Girls in Action program, Close to Home - Youth Dating Violence, Bay State Prison Lifers, Women Ex-Offenders Recovery Project, Riverside Theater Girls Improv, Hyde Square Task Force Teen Awareness of Sexual Harassment, Project Rethink Teen Empowerment Program, New Orleans LA, Citi Performing Arts Center Teen Leaders program, and more).
Tonia is a microcosm of cultural, racial, socio-economic and spiritual diversity. This diversity informs both her artistic expressions and professional work with others. As a person of multi-racial descent (African American, Native American, East Indian, European), she has made a lifelong commitment to harmonizing the challenging and complex legacies of her blood lines, soul lineage, and life experiences.
Tonia: “I traveled to Brazil in the early 1990s with a Brazilian friend of European descent. Most Brazilians are a combination of European, Indigenous, and African bloodlines. One morning, we left early for the train on the public transit system in Sao Paulo. As we entered the flow of people going to work I was struck by how much they looked like me and I looked like them. Medium brown skin, dark hair. I became acutely aware that my “white” friend actually stood out in this sea of “brown” people, and I blended in and disappeared. This was a revelation! I don’t stand out. I’m one of the many. No one is noticing me. That was when I realized that I had a constant, unconscious awareness of standing out in the “white” crowd of the dominant U.S. culture. Being highly visible (because I don’t blend in visually) requires that I speak and behave in ways that draw little or no attention to the fact that I look different. Hopefully I’ll just fit into the white culture and therefore be acceptable. This awareness culminated with a realization in the Sao Paolo train station: Oh, so this is how white people must feel in the United States. Where ever they go, there they are! How comforting to be mirrored so clearly by the people around you.”
Over the course of her years with True Story Theater, Tonia has noticed a couple of things. Most audiences that come to the public Playback shows are of Caucasian/European descent. When True Story Theater has performed for audiences that are mostly or completely people of color, there is a visceral response by the people in the audience that they are now free to share what’s in their hearts, in front of interested others. And they share incredibly deep, often traumatic events, some with an I-lived-to-tell-about-it or I-survived-in-spite-of-it ending. Tonia wants to offer and spread this restorative experience to larger communities of color on a regular basis. And there’s something else.
When, for example, an African American, Asian or Latino person tells a story and there are only white actors on stage to play the story back, the actors may do a superb job of honoring the story. But there’s an added element of authenticity, relate-ability and truth that gets communicated when the actor resembles the teller from a racial or cultural point of view. There is a subtle but powerful “mirroring” effect that a white actor just cannot do for a person of color (or vice versa), no matter how skilled and dedicated he or she may be.
So, Tonia decided to create a project where people of color can be trained and eventually perform for audiences of color to spread the healing effects, lift hearts, build community, and give these audiences the experience of seeing themselves represented on stage. The long-term vision is to create a performing ensemble with a racially and culturally diverse group of actors.
USE IT & PASS IT ON: C'mas is the new abbreviation for Christmas.
Read more about X the X here.
Website content © 2008-2013 Tonia Pinheiro & In The One Music. All Rights Reserved.
Read more about X the X here.
Website content © 2008-2013 Tonia Pinheiro & In The One Music. All Rights Reserved.