Books by Jo Salas

In a Playback Theatre performance, audience members tell true stories about their lives and a team of actors improvises theatre pieces on the spot. First developed in 1975 in upstate New York, Playback Theatre is now practiced around the world, in theatres, schools, refugee camps, prisons, governmental departments-wherever people have stories to tell. Improvising Real Life: Personal Story in Playback Theatre, written by Playback's cofounder Jo Salas, is the basic text used by new and seasoned Playback practitioners, trainers, and university teachers. The photo-illustrated book describes the origins, practice and philosophy of Playback Theatre. Entertaining and thoughtful, Improvising Real Life is illustrated with dozens of real-life stories told in performances and workshops. It has been translated into German, Japanese, Spanish, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), Portuguese, Russian, Hebrew, and Korean (forthcoming). The 20th Anniversary edition includes a foreword by Roberto Gutiérrez Varea from Theatre Without Borders and co-founder of the Performing Arts and Social Justice Program at the University of San Francisco, as well as an afterword by the author with comments on Playback's current development.

Author Jo Salas, a music therapist and cofounder of Playback Theatre, created a drama and music program at a residential treatment center in upstate New York for children 5 to 13 years old who had been diagnosed as severely emotionally disturbed. Do My Story, Sing My Song tells the stories of the children she worked with, many of whom were the survivors of extreme neglect and violence. Despite their traumas and their resulting depression, volatility, and even psychosis, the children at St. Mary's were full of creativity. They longed to express themselves, to play, to love, and, remarkably, to contribute to the wellbeing of their peers.In one-on-one music therapy sessions, group singing, Playback Theatre performances with staff members enacting children's stories, and therapy groups where the children acted stories for each other, the author encountered the resilience and artistry of these young people. Although reflecting on the background and theory of creative arts therapies, Do My Story, Sing My Song More is in the realm of narrative rather than formal case studies, offering stories where children's voices are clearly and unforgettably heard.Jo Salas, MA, holds a master's degree in music therapy from New York University. She is the cofounder of Playback Theatre, an original form of interactive story-based theatre now practiced in 65 countries. Her book Improvising Real Life: Personal Story in Playback Theatre is now in nine translations. Her TEDx talk "Everyone Has a Story" is available online.