Jonathan is the co-founder of Playback Theatre and was artistic director of the original Playback Theatre Company from its inception in 1975. From 1993 until 2010 he was director of the Centre for Playback Theatre in New York. He is the author of Acts of Service: Spontaneity, Commitment, Tradition in the Nonscripted Theatre and Beyond Theatre: a playback theatre memoir; the editor of The Essential Moreno: Writings on Spontaneity, Psychodrama and Group Method; and co-editor of Gathering Voices: Essays on Playback Theatre.

Jo Salas is the cofounder of Playback Theatre and the author of Improvising Real Life: Personal Story in Playback Theatre, now published in 11 languages. Her chapter “Playback Theatre for a Planetary Crisis” appears in Personal Stories in Public Spaces,: Essays on Playback Theatre by Its Founders (2021). She has led Playback workshops in 27 countries. Her company Hudson River Playback Theatre, founded in 1990, has carried out community performances focusing on nature and climate change since 2008. HRPT has participated regularly in Climate Change Theatre Action, a worldwide initiative in connection to United Nations climate conferences, since its inception.

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​Hannah Fox, M.A., APPT, RYT, is a senior international applied theatre trainer, co-director of the New York School of Playback Theatre and founder of Pangea Playback Theatre, an international multi-cultural online Playback Theatre company. Hannah has a special interest in using theatre and performance as a tool for promoting social justice. Hannah is the daughter of the founders of Playback Theatre, and author of Zoomy Zoomy: Improv Games and Exercises for Groups, as well as numerous other scholarly publications about Playback Theatre. Hannah is the proud mom of a spunky 9 year-old named Rio who keeps her on her toes. 

Randy is the artistic director and co-founder of Village Playback Theatre in New York City, and co-director of the New York School of Playback Theatre.  He is on faculty at Kansas State University School of Music, Theatre and Dance.  He teaches drama therapy and Playback Theatre locally and internationally.  As an actor, Randy has toured across the United States.  He has extensive experience working as a liturgical musician throughout NYC.  Randy is passionate about  using the arts, wellness, ritual, and personal storytelling to empower individuals and strengthen communities and businesses.

Synne is an Accredited PT Trainer living in Norway, where she co-leads Skandinavisk Playback Teater Studio, an affiliated PT school. Synne is the co-founder and former artistic director of Teater X in Sweden.  A Playback performer, conductor, and teacher since 1994, Synne continues to work with Theater X, Teater Mosaik’ in Norway, in the Baltics, and internationally. Currently, she teaches Norwegian to immigrants in her area. Synne holds an MA degree in Drama and Theatre . She loves to inspire people’s creativity and connection through shared stories, be they newly arrived immigrants or corporate leaders.

Sarah joined Hudson River Playback Theatre in 1994 when she moved to New Paltz, NY, to study with cofounders Jo Salas and Jonathan Fox. She has performed and taught Playback Theatre for nearly three decades in 19 countries. Sarah is a past board member of the International Playback Theatre Network and taught for many years at the Centre for Playback Theatre. Her full-time gig is leading the work of the Omega Women’s Leadership Center at the Omega Institute. Originally from Switzerland, Sarah speaks seven languages and is a certified coach, Master's social worker, and singer.  Watch Sarah describe what she has learned from Playback about listening.

The founder of SDW - An International School of Playback Theatre, Sheila has been traveling the world teaching and performing Playback since 2006.   She was a member of several companies for many years before creating Cria Playback in São Paulo, Brazil in 2017.  Sheila lived in the USA (2008-2015), where she performed with Playback companies.   At Brandeis University, Sheila was a visiting artist and an intern, focusing on Arts for Social Change.  She is a CPT graduate and an Accredited Playback Theatre Trainer (APTT). She has served on the Board of Directors (2012-2019) of the Centre for Playback Theatre and remains its current administrative assistant. Sheila is a recent mom of lovely Júlia.

Dr. Leticia Nieto has been working for three decades with service providers in helping agencies, community groups, and learning communities. She is a Professor in the Master of Arts in Counseling program at Saint Martin’s University where has been recipient of the Outstanding Faculty of the Year Award. As a therapist and teacher, she applies her background in human development to anti-oppression education. She specializes in Playback Theatre, Theater of the Oppressed and is a certified Psychodrama Trainer, Educator, and Practitioner (TEP). Her book, Beyond Inclusion, Beyond Empowerment: A Developmental Strategy to Liberate Everyone, analyzes the psychological dynamics of privilege and oppression. It offers readers ways to develop skills to promote social justice. She shares those ideas with groups in the Northwest and Internationally. Leticia loves to sing. 

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Mizuho is a Japanese native, living in the U.S. for over 28 years.  She studied acting at Mary Baldwin College, Marymount Manhattan College, and HB Studio.  From 2002-2006, she served as the artistic director for Sakura Playback Theater in NYC and has taught a variety of improvisational theater workshops at various organizations, after school programs, and graduate programs.  Mizuho was a member of Big Apple Playback Theater for 18 years where she served a co-artistic director in her final two years.  She is a graduate of NYU drama therapy MA program and currently has a private practice as a psychotherapist with adults and inter-racial/ intercultural couples.  Mizuho loves cooking and making green tea every morning.  

Ricardo Pérez González (MFA NYU Tisch) is a loudass maricón with bacalao on his breath and salsa on his hips. A writer for stage, film, and TV, he has been a playback practitioner since 2005, when he joined Big Apple Playback Theatre founded by Hannah Fox. He trained under Hannah before becoming Artistic Director of BAPT in 2016. He currently serves as Co-Artistic Director of BAPT, and is a member of Oakland Freedom Theater, and LA Playback. He has taught at Harvard, Pomona, NYU, and conferences in the U.S. and abroad, and has served as an EDI consultant for various organizations, including Google, Be The Change, and the British Consulate. www.ricardoperezgonzalez.com

Ann Belmont is a freelance musician. She’s played in Off-Broadway shows, as a sideman and a solo performer.  She’s taught guitar and bass, been music director of a church, and led a choir.  Ann has MA in composition from City College in NY and has written pieces for singers and jazz orchestras. She played with Jo Salas and Jonathan Fox in the original company in the 70’s. After a hiatus of many years and while living in NYC, she was “born again” as a musician for the Big Apple Playback company, and, coming full circle, now lives in Kerhokson and works with Hudson River Playback.

Rosalyn is the executive director of a children's advocacy and rape crisis center. She has thirty years of experience teaching and serving individuals, organizations, and universities in the areas of leadership, organizational change, sexual violence, child abuse, teen pregnancy, and violence prevention.  Rosalyn utilizes the arts to create healing experiences, expose and remedy injustices, incite dialogue, and inspire action while disrupting the status quo. As founder and artistic director of Act Up Drama, Inc., an applied theater center located in South Carolina, she provides classes and programs in Playback Theatre, Theatre of the Oppressed, Drama Therapy and traditional theatre.

Tim is founder and President of Van Ness & Co, a consulting and coaching company where he uses theatre, storytelling and action methods with business leaders and education programs.  Tim is a 37-year veteran of Playback Theatre and an accredited trainer.  He has taught in Playback schools in the US and abroad and performs as a musician and actor with companies internationally.  Trained as a classical musician with a degree in Music Education, was a music teacher in the Boston public schools in his early music career.  He now lives in in western Massachusetts with his wife and cat.

Michael is a freelance applied drama practitioner and educator in Singapore. He serves as the current Chair of the Centre for Playback Theatre’s Board of Directors, and a Practitioner member of the International Playback Theatre Network (IPTN). He has also served as Artistic Director of Tapestry Playback Theatre (Singapore) for the last 10 years. As an Accredited Trainer, he has taught internationally at all levels of Playback.

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Andrea Sandoval (Mexico), has a University Degree in Acting. She has than 20 years experience in Acting, Production and Directing Theatre. Playback Theatre practitioner since 2008. Accredited Trainer since 2016. Andrea recently became a Listening Hour Guide and is an active member of the Mexican Network of Teatro Espontáneo and PT as well as a Board member of the IPTN. She is interested in creating links and access for the Mexican community.

Debe has been practicing the craft of Playback Theatre since 1991. She began performing for children to highlight their stories of empathy and compassion with the Olympia, Washington based Playback Theatre company, the Heartsparkle Players. She is their Artistic and Managing Director. Debe is a graduate of Leadership and is an Accredited Trainer with the Centre for Playback Theatre. She teaches locally, nationally and internationally. Debe currently serves on the Executive Committee for the Centre as Vice Chair.