- (male announcer)   This program was made   possible by   [gentle music]   by a grand from   Anne Ray Foundation   and by contributions   to your PBS station   by viewers like you.

Thank you.

- I never expected to   be so health conscious   because of where I'm from.

I love New Orleans food,   but it'll kill you.

I never expected   to just enjoy life   the way I'm enjoying life.

I never expected, I really never expected to just enjoy talking to people I don't know.

I just never expected it.

Never.

[gentle music]   - Everyone holds a   multitude of stories.

And to be able to   be in an environment where you're comfortable and you're safe to share those experiences and then have those experiences artistically developed into something in that moment   that has a magical   quality about it.

[gentle music]   - Take me back   three years ago.

I did not like Playback, I didn't wanna come to Playback, but I didn't have no choice.

I was told,   like I was in a program   called Lifeline to Success.

That's how I ended up   with Ms. Virginia.

So when we got to Playback,   I'm looking at you   know, what they doing I'm like, "I'm not with this."

And then she got to talking about opening us up   and talking to us.

It took time because   I don't like to cry,   I don't like to   think about feelings.

Like I just wanna have fun, have fun I don't wanna think about nothing.

And when I got with Ms. Virginia, she opened up a lot of stuff and let out a lot of stuff.

So ever since then, I've been stuck with them.

- Playback Theater is a form   of improvisational theater   in which audience members   share true stories   from their lives and a team   of actors and musicians   and dancers then brings   those stories to life on the spot.

And in Playback Memphis it's always done in the service of building empathy,   of creating a space   for us to be reflective   about our lives.

And then to invite ourselves   with audience members   to listen generously to   one another's stories.

And we believe that there's deep wisdom in our stories   which then the idea is that   then we apply that wisdom   to solve some of the complex   challenges and problems   that we face.

- What's kind of   great about Playback   is it's much more communal.

And so then   you and the audience are sort of one and the same with Playback and you and the other actors are sort of one and the same.

And to do this type of   theater, this improv   and you gotta listen so   that you could be filled up   with the story that the   audience are presenting.

And so I think that   that's the difference.

- The people come and they bring what they have to the table.

The people trust us to   bring these stories to life   and so listening is a big part.

That's obviously what   playback is about too.

As we say deep in general is listening.

So people's stories are fascinating and that's how you learn.

Every creature, every   person, every child,   everybody has a story to tell.

- That's what I have found with Playback Memphis,   is to tell the stories of   the people in the community.

And what I appreciate about   the Playback experience is that although we want to do the art and storytelling to encourage joy and healing,   there is an opportunity   to let that story land   wherever it lands and appreciat   the truth of the story.

As hard as it is, as hurtful as it could be, it's the story that we appreciate.

- People my age,   my generation,   probably expected to be getting   their license, graduating, having their 16th birthdays.

And this was all just,   unexpected.

No one planned for pandemics,   riots, politics,   climate change.

At this point in my life,   the way the world is, I've learned how quickly change can come and affect your life.

January I owned my own kitchen, was in a nationally touring band with over 150 dates booked for the year.

February my wife got pregnant.

March, COVID hit.

April, I had to   close the kitchen   and officially cancel   every tour that I had,   comedy and bandwise.

May, pregnancy and terror was pretty much the name of the game.

June, more of the same and I lost two of my friends.

July,   we started trying   Heels TV episodes   to find some kind of sanity   and to bring back some   kind of happiness.

August, I got a job   at a pizza place,   was great to be back but   terrified to be in public.

September, getting ready to be a father and desperately trying to stay clean.

We released two self-help records to try and maintain some kind of thing of normal.

October, I became a father.

Gideon rules.

November, I lost three   of my closest friends   that my son will never meet.

December, I'm just trying to keep my head up.

- Now is the time for America   to acknowledge its history.

Now is a time for America to take full responsibility for the inhumane treatment of black people for centuries.

You see, for so long the excuse was, well I did not know this, I did not know that.

But a global pandemic slowed everything down, took everything from its normal place except black bodies hitting pavements and hitting streets and succumbing to death at the hands of police.

And now we see many people hitting the streets to protest because America, it's time.

Now is the time to change your ways.

Now is the time.

- I never expected to live in this country and have to wear a mask.

We thought it was gonna be a month or so but it's been much longer.

I never expected to not be able to just hug anybody I wanna hug when I wanna hug them.

- The world amazes me   because even though   I wanna believe that people are actually intelligent and good, I've mostly found that people are stupid.

I see stupidity every single day in the news, in my neighborhood, in my family.

And it just amazes me that people are still alive.

- I never expected to get the coronavirus.

As I have it right now, I am quarantined now for Christmas.

What a great present.

There's so many people I wanna thank for this.

- What keeps me up at night?

Sometimes it's Twitter.

Also what keeps me up at   night is streaming television   and sci-fi shows.

I stay up so late, way too late.

- When this is over, will this ever be over?

I don't know.

- I believe that we can overcome it because we still have our lives to live.

And I believe that we can make a change.

Even if it takes time.

- It seems that these times have created a space where those things that are most uncomfortable like race and religion   or the things that   come with those things,   there has been a   greater awareness   whether it's by   choice or by force.

And I do appreciate   that Playback   has not shied from   those subjects   nor have they shied from   sharing those stories.

When we talk about Memphis   as a place where race has   definitely been a big deal,   sometimes having this   artistic approach has allowed that space to not necessarily be comfortable but to be safe.

So that we know in spite of whatever it is our history is   or whatever it is our   experiences have been,   whatever is going   on in the world   that art allows us to do   that with authenticity.

- The murder of George   Floyd definitely had I mean,   a huge impact.

Angry, full of rage,   hurt, disappointment,   and just sick, disgusted   to be quite honest   with the American   justice system.

And disgusted that after all these years, after all these decades, in the 20th century going into 21st century, that that could happen.

And then at the same time being   encouraged I wasn't alone.

The whole world was outraged.

- You know yes, there have   been many horrific things   before the George   Floyd thing happened.

For whatever reason that one   hit in a way where we were all just kind of sitting still.

And we kind of had to see it.

We were galvanized,   we were already   faced with so much   with the pandemic going on.

And the summer of 2020 just kind of pushed us literally   into that space   of addressing it.

- Initially just unfathomable that we would   adapt our performance   art to the virtual space   because it is the primacy of   being physically connected   to one another.

And so it was a sense of profound I don't know, like I was afraid.

Could our organization   survive this?

And so much uncertainty   and unknown.

And then that was maybe, [laughs] I don't know, five minutes?

And then we kind of all gathered ourselves   in the new realm of   the virtual world   and said, "Well,   what are we gonna do?

What are we going to do right now?"

And in that moment we committed.

We said, "Well, here we are."

And we're gonna do what we've always done   which is whatever arises,   we're going to respond   in a creative and generative   and open-hearted way.

- I never expected that with the pandemic I'll be close to people that are almost 2,000 miles away from me.

- I was raised to believe that you could be raised or grow up in an environment and even if that environment is negative, it doesn't have to affect you in a negative way.

- Maybe kindness and sharing and giving doesn't always look like a dollar in a donation jar.

Sometimes it's hard.

Sometimes it's boring.

Sometimes it's going stir crazy, but it's not a burden.

It's just the thing we have to do for each other.

- I was raised to believe   that if you shoot for the moon,   you will land   amongst the stars.

Hard work pays off   and follow your heart and   everything will be all right.

- I was raised to believe that I can be as good as a man.

But now that I have a daughter, I'm raising her to believe that she can be as good as any other human being.

- One thing that I was raised to believe that I really appreciate, is my father taught me that all things lost can be regained.

And man like God,   can say be and it is.

- I didn't know any other   writers or artists growing up   even though I was   exposed to the arts,   that was a dream thing.

So I had to essentially break the mold   and create my own story.

- Now is the time for me to really think about what's in my bag of tricks.

I thought about you know,   when I was first starting out   at university or freelancing   or trying to get   my career going,   and there was all that   trepidation and worry, and worry about everything and I got through it.

And I thought, this is sort of like, I've learned this.

I've learned how to adapt,   I've learned how to talk myself   into being okay about it.

And I have tricks,   I have ways of dealing   with uncertainty.

So I just sort of take a breath and remember that   I've gone through this   before and I survived,   I came out the other side.

So this is just another   opportunity to just sort of   go back and remember   those lessons I've learned   and use them.

[laughs]   That's how I get through it.

So now's the time to remember those lessons I've learned and put them to use again.

- I've seen a lot artists   take advantage of the fact that   we do have sort of video   calling, video chatting and are sort of working together to continue to engage one another, to support one another's practices in light of the fact that we can't actually do something in person like a studio visit,   or we can't rehearse together.

But it is hard to see that almost like a halting of what is a rather participatory field of work   and collaborative and community   centered field of work.

I think that like COVID-19   has made me realize the power and importance of artists and the role that we play in society and in building community.

And in also impacting the lives of people worldwide.

- Oddly enough, still been busy because there's been like a lot of Zoom performances   and a lot of prerecorded   performances.

- The work with Playback has picked up considerably   in the Zoom space.

Who knew that Zoom would   become an exciting thing   to work with?

So that said, the   Zoom space is great.

Yes, sometimes   there are glitches and technological issues around the use of, but none the less, I feel like as a performer, as an artist   I've really embraced that.

- What I also discovered about 2020 which was a little unnerving to me but it made me very very aware,   is I lost a lot of people   that I loved loved deeply   and dearly.

Not all of them left with COVID   but they left during this time.

And one in particular that comes to mind is a great cousin who passed away at a hundred and three.

And she I think,   died of the distance.

She had been placed recently in a nursing home for her own wellbeing.

We began to notice that   because we could not touch,   she began to drift   away from us.

2020 was hard in that way.

- I feel really grateful for the practice of Playback because it seems to bring out the best in people.

That invitation to   listen to one another   in the way that Playback calls   us to listen to one another   and to listen to ourselves and the values that we're committed to.

And of course, we're   always trying to illuminate   the ways in which we   are uniquely different   which is important   that we recognize that.

And yet I think there's   something that's really powerfu   about the ways that we   recognize our shared humanity.

- So when this   whole COVID thing is over, when this is over, COVID edition.

- When this is over, I'm gonna travel.

- When this is over, I'm gonna just go and visit my children.

They live within a 10-mile radius and hug my grandchildren.

- When this is over, I want to hold fast to a commitment that I've made to myself that I'm gonna make the most of every day and every moment of the rest of my life.

I say this to myself every day.

I'm afraid that that's not gonna happen.

I'm afraid that I'm gonna let it happen maybe for a week and I'll forget.

That's what I wanna do.

That's my commitment.

- I can't wait for this   thing to be over with 'cause for those who don't know, I'm a full-time standup comic and I have had to resort to doing Zoom shows.

And I don't have a problem doing Zoom shows, I've had fun with most of them.

But I've done over 300 Zoom shows and I haven't worn pants in 298 of them.

When this is over,   I cannot wait to get   back on to a real stage   in front of real people who   wanna be out and have fun   and laugh again.

I cannot wait to one   night be in Memphis, the next night be in San Francisco, three nights later in Seattle.

- After all of   this, I've learned that I won't be taking things for granted.

I won't ever be too tired to take a walk with the kids.

I won't ever take for granted a chance to perform or see live a performance.

Or even little things like being able to go to the grocery store for something I need right now.

I have had enough of later, I'll do it later.

For the rest of my life I'll never put it off.

I'll never forget that maybe this is the last chance I get to stop by and see a friend and get a hug and all of those things.

No more of that.

No more being too grumpy to have a good time because I've had all of the grumpy laying on the couch that should last me for at least a few decades.

- When this is over, like I just want everything that I got to do to get to my success.

To be there right in front of me, like I don't want no distractions in my way.

Like I just wanna go, go, go, go, go.

- I just want to be successful.

Ever since I've been young, I've wanted to be an actor and I've wanted to inspire people with the way I act the way I do things.

And quite frankly, I just don't wanna be forgotten.

- When this is over I'ma go outside, take my shoes off and just wallow around in the grass.

- The biggest thing this coronavirus pandemic has done for many of us whether we know it or not, it's been a reset for us to really evaluate ourselves and were we doing everything that we could to be a better person, to be a better neighbor, sister or even be better to ourselves.

- When this is over, we're   gonna have fun again.

I want everybody to have fun, learn to laugh.

There's too much hatred going down in this country right now.

There's too much of that.

I want us to have fun again.

I want us to laugh at the darkest part of reality that we've had to suffer through over the past 12 months.

I want us to laugh again.

That's what I wanna do when all this is over.

[gentle music]   - I think 2020   was a culmination   of the last four years.

Of all of the stuff that was cracked, it became completely shattered and broken.

In 2020, the pandemic I   think just really kind of   overly pronounced all of   the stuff that was broken   and not right.

Just kind of   pushed us literally into that space of addressing it.

- The stories are a human experience.

And the idea of having a space where you can be heard your story can be heard, and it can be heard amongst people who will really listen to your story and play it back.

But you know what's beautiful is, is that that same principle I think is happening in other ways, you know?

I think that there's stories that are being told   via film, television and   theater as it relates to Zoom   or prerecorded where   people are hearing the need   to express some of the things   that have been suppressed.

And so I think that   that's where the hope is   because I believe it's   the human experience,   is when we are all   able to connect in the space of who we are as human beings that I believe that things can really, really turn around.

- I can't wait till I'm able to touch my Playback pals and tell them I got their back.

Just to even be in   the studio with them,   just to perform and   see the audience   'cause they made me feel   like a little celebrity.

That's how I know God's gonna bless me and my teammates with a successful thing because we were doing great things before the pandemic came.

The pandemic put it on hold.

And I feel like it put it on hold for us to explore   and learn new things.

We learning new   things through Zoom.

So when we do get back on the floor and get in action it's gonna be amazing because like it's a lot of stuff that they ain't seen that we ain't even put out there just a little bit like we normally do.

I can't wait.

I'm ready.

- I'm hoping that the world   will begin to see the work   that's being done in Memphis.

Because I think that it   is so so necessary to know   that there's this one   story that is highlighted.

Oh, Memphis is full of violent crime.

And oh the race relations are as bad now as they once were.

But then to see these people   from all different   walks of life   and to see this one   platform where storytelling your story and my story is valued and we get to share those stories in a way that creates a whole 'nother dynamic about what's happening in Memphis.

And we get to   witness that story.

No, it doesn't   change overnight.

No, it's not the same   for every household or   every person in blue.

But if we're given the opportunity to see that these stories do live and that they are real and that they do in some small way create change, then that's something that we have to work towards, something that we have to celebrate.

And so I very much appreciate those opportunities   as an ensemble member   because I know the   work is not always easy but it's always necessary.

- We're hoping to create spaces of real belonging,   a place where everybody   feels that they matter.

We say a lot, "With trust,   almost anything is possible   and without it almost   nothing at all."

And I think people feel that,   that trust.

[soft upbeat music] [acoustic guitar chords]