Theatre of Witness – Finding the Medicine in Stories of Suffering

Theater of Witness is a form of performance in which the true life stories of people whose voices haven’t been heard in society are performed by the storytellers themselves as a way for audiences to bear witness to significant social issues. The theater productions are scripted from individual and group interviews as well as a variety of creative process techniques and consist of scripted text, music, movement, imagery and film projection. The productions are created with the performers who themselves have directly experienced the issues being explored. Theater of Witness invites audiences to put a face and heart to societal issues of suffering and to celebrate the power of the human spirit to grow and transform. Theater of Witness is a form of peace building and inspiration.

Teya Sepinuck is the founder and director of the Theater of Witness model of performance that gives voice to those whose stories haven’t been heard in society. Teya is the recipient of the Philadelphia Human Rights Award for Arts and Culture, a Local Hero Award from the Bank of America, and Cultural Arts Award from Women’s Way and the Mayor’s Commission on Women. She was just named the Chair of Theatrical Innovation by Holywell Trust. Her book, ‘Theatre of Witness – Finding the Medicine in Stories of Suffering, Transformation and Peace’ was published in February 2013.

Zena Zumeta, internationally known as both a mediator and trainer of mediators.  She is president of the Mediation Training & Consultation Institute, Zena Zumeta Mediation Services, and The Collaborative Workplace in Michigan.  Zena is a lawyer and a former president of the Academy of Family Mediators.