Playback Theater PDX was started by Jackie Paris who trained with Jonathan Fox, the creator of the Playback form, and Armand Volkas, Director of the Living Arts Counseling Center in CA. Jackie has been involved with Playback for the past 23 years, and currently works as a Drama Therapist. She has been a professional actress since the age of 20, and has generated many original socio-political theater performances – her passion is bringing change to the planet by making it a better place through dramatic and creative endeavors!

Shane began their Playback journey in 2010, and are honored to witness the joy, vulnerability, honesty, and authenticity within each teller’s story. His work in Playback is informed by a rich background in a variety of dance, theater, literature, storytelling, and somatic modalities. He believes we each carry stories deserving of time and space to be spoken and lovingly held and received in community. When not playing and performing with Playback, they enjoy growing a greener thumb, sampling as many teas as possible, cooking with their partner, and exploring the natural world through movement and photography.

Amber Green (she/they) was born with stars in her eyes and is classically trained as a dancer, singer, and actor. They got their BA in Acting and Performance from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, WA and has performed up and down the West Coast for 20+ years. Amber spent a decade in South Korea where they got to live out numerous dreams being the front person of several bands, the femme fatale lead of an indie movie, helped run an Expat theater group, do voice over work for animation and more, as well as teach drama and English to adorable Korean kiddos. Amber is grateful to return to and for her new life in Portland with its rich community as well as this opportunity to create something meaningful with this talented troupe.

Ryan Bowen studied theater in Boston, piano and film in Portland, and has many years of training in martial arts and enjoys singing and playing guitar. He enjoys a good prank when he is not at work as president of Raindrop Roofing NW. The expression of each person’s truth is sacred and Ryan is both excited and grateful to be a mirror for that truth in Playback.

Calin Matei was born in the Romani village of Dumbraveni, Romania & raised in the US. Embracing his heritage as a Roma, Calin’s songs possess a dissonant, harrowing sound that speaks of the long & mysterious history of his race. His music draws life from the wild, unruly strains of ancient musical traditions from Africa, India, and the Middle East which is then expressed through Jazz roots.

Avi has been a conductor for Portland PlayBack Theater for more than five years, something that he fell into quite by chance. He didn’t know earlier in his life that the role of PlayBack conductor even existed. But, he also had no idea when he was a reporter, a paramedic, and a systems engineer, all of which rely on asking probing questions to random people on the fly, that he was receiving perfect preparation.

Avi has lived in Portland for more than 30 years. Raised in the Big Apple, Avi is retired and divorced with two grown children. When not conducting, he focuses on volunteering and community and continuing to try to solve the age-old conundrum how to start conversations without asking “How are you?”.

Kevin Ferguson is an Emmy Award winning musician/scientist/engineer/inventor with dozens of patents, dozens pending and 8 albums including best sellers on guitar9.com. He is currently the music director of Playback Theater and also performs regularly in several world music groups (see debone.com). He recently created recipefactory.net, with ongoing research towards mitigating hunger, leading health issues and worldwide competition for resources.

If it involves creative improvised play,  Brent is into it. Musician, vocalist, dancer, poet, storyteller, visual artist, and now actor. They live for the flowstate, and have learned to navigate it through surrender.