Website Chicago Playback Theatre Ensemble
Building community by bringing real stories to life on the spot
The Chicago Playback Theatre Ensemble (CPTE) is seeking new Artistic Associates for our 2026 season.
The Chicago Playback Theatre Ensemble (CPTE) is a 501c3 nonprofit that builds community in Chicagoland through using Playback Theatre, an interactive form of improvisational theatre that brings personal stories of audiences to life on stage. Our mission is to use our unique approach to storytelling to spark dialogue, broaden perspectives, and promote healing by celebrating and validating the truths of the stories we receive.
Playback Theatre is an art form we’ve studied, and we are the only professional theatre in Chicago that does it! Unlike traditional improv, Playback is not just comedy– we celebrate all stories whether joyful, sorrowful, or somewhere in between.
CPTE has collaborated with community partners in the greater Chicagoland area since 2019 to create performances and educational workshops designed to engage audiences deeply and make a positive impact on the communities we serve. Much of our work focuses on supporting mental health advocacy and serving LGBTQIA+ communities.
Learn more about Playback Theatre here: https://playbackcentre.org/resources/
Learn more about the Chicago Playback Theatre Ensemble and our history of work and partnerships here: https://www.chicagoplaybacktheatre.com/
Material to Prepare:
Invited auditions will be held on December 10th from 7:00pm-8:30pm in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. The audition will be casual and focused on team building where we’ll work with some playback short forms. If you cannot make our audition time but this work sounds exciting to you, please contact us anyway and we may be able to accommodate you! To be considered for an audition invitation, fill out this audition form by December 4th: https://forms.gle/RbvbWTg5fTeRQAjC8
Accessibility Info: Our audition space is wheel-chair accessible. Please let us know in the audition form if you have access needs and we will work to meet them!
Please contact us with any questions at coartisticdirector@chicagoplayback.com.
Time Commitment:
For our 2026 season, we are producing:
-- In Early February: 2 performances of Playback in Love, our new show about audience love stories
-- In Early March: Fundraiser performance of Together We Rise, our show about building community
-- March-April: 5-6 performances of Together We Rise in our Stories Connect Us Tour with Connecting Routes Theatre
-- June: 3-4 performance tour of Amplify Queer Joy
New Artistic Associates are expected to perform in at least 4 performances. Shows are scheduled based on cast and partner/client availability.
Rehearsals take place at Third Space on Chicago’s north side. Weekly Wednesday evening rehearsals begin January 7th from 7:30pm-9:30pm through June 11th, 2026. Required Playback Theatre training intensive rehearsals are (we are willing to work with unchangeable conflicts for these dates):
January 11th from 5:00pm-9:00pm
January 12th from 7:30pm-9:30pm
January 18th from 5:00pm-9:00pm
January 19th from 7:30pm-9:30pm
Character Type/Restrictions:
We intentionally strive to continue building an ensemble that is a reflection of Chicago’s rich communities. We are seeking Chicago-based performers above age 21 of all ethnicities, sexual orientations, gender identities, abilities, and silhouettes that have strong active listening skills, improvisational abilities, and are great collaborators.
We are especially looking to improve our representation of Latine and BIPOC people as well as other ethnicities, people ages 40+, people with disabilities, and trans people. Folks with teaching or facilitation experience, therapists/counselors/healers, people proficient in ASL, and people with non-theatre backgrounds are also highly encouraged to attend. Because our work is so tied to Chicago’s communities and Chicagoan stories, only people who live or closely work within Chicago will be considered.
Artistic Associates: (All ethnicities & genders)
Musical Improvisors: (All ethnicities & genders) Musicians will be trained in standard Playback Theatre performance, with added focus on how to perform Playback Theatre using music. We’re seeking musicians who specialize in a non-percussive instrument! Please specify the instruments you are proficient in on the audition form.
To apply for this job email your details to coartisticdirector@chicagoplayback.com