Hudson River Playback Theatre – interactive story theatre for dialogue and connection

The ensemble at the close of our December 2025 show celebrating 35 years of Hudson River Playback Theatre.
Photo: Erin Curren

Since our founding in 1990, we’ve served countless audiences in theatres, schools, community centers, migrant labor camps, conferences, and more. We’ve performed by invitation in major US cities as well as abroad. We’ve carried out projects such as Immigrant Stories (over 100 bilingual shows for our immigrant neighbors) and No More Bullying (serving tens of thousands of schoolchildren). Our work has been a model for other Playback Theatre groups around the world.

New York University recently posted a full-length video of Hudson River Playback Theatre’s performance from March, 2025–see it here!

“I’m hooked on playback … not to mention completely awed by the talent, touched to the core by the compassion, and really curious as to HOW you all do THAT?” (audience comment)

Our vision: A society where every voice is heard, every story honored.

Our mission: To create improvisational theatre and music from stories told by the audience in order to illuminate lives and bear witness to both difference and commonality among people.
Our values: Social Justice; Artistry; Community.

Hudson River Playback Theatre is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization registered in the State of New York USA

Our beloved Jody Satriani, a member of HRPT for 17 years, died in July 2023 after an illness. We miss her terribly.

Here is a beautiful video compilation created by Dorothy Luongo,

Playback Theatre itself was first developed by Jonathan Fox, Jo Salas, and the other members of the original company in 1975. In performances, audience members are invited to tell stories from their lives and watch as they are played back with action and music. The Playback Theatre method is now practiced in 70 countries worldwide to build dialogue, connection, and change. Jo Salas founded Hudson River Playback Theatre in 1990 as the original company was coming to a close. Hudson River Playback Theatre’s company members have backgrounds in professional theatre and music, social work, education, and community action. Learn more about what we can offer your school, community, or organization.

STORIES RISING video

A month after the first worldwide One Billion Rising event in 2013, Hudson River Playback Theatre presented a community performance called Stories Rising. This story was told by one of the local organizers of One Billion Rising, and enacted on the spot by Hudson River Playback Theatre’s performers. The videographer, Marjorie Berman, added family photos from the teller during the editing process. STORIES RISING 2013