Playback is an original form of improvisational theatre,
in which personal stories told by audience members are
transformed on the spot into theatre pieces by using
movement, music and spoken word.


Group members:
Joanne Brauman, Benny Buettner,
Marcy Dubova, Marti Holtz,
Sylvia Israel, Martin Masters,
Laura Scott, Duncan Sylvester,
Cynthia Zecic










Sylvia Israel-Founder and Creative Director of Bay Area Playback Theatre. Sylvia trained extensively with the School of Playback in upstate New York. Sylvia trained aAn experienced performance artist, Certified Psychodramatist and Trainer, Registered Drama Therapist, Sylvia teaches at the California Institute of Integral Studies and maintains a private psychotherapy practice in Marin County and San Francisco.

Marti Holtz-Associate Creative Director. Marti is an award winning playwright, a veteran of twenty-five years in the performing arts as a featured actor in Shakespeare festivals, cabaret, street and political theatre. Marti has created numerous theatre based learning experiences for adults, children, corporations and disadvantaged populations.

Joanne Brauman-Joanne has a degree in Dance and Theatre. She has performed in various venues on the East and West coast. She has performed for fifteen years throughout California as an oriental dancer. She has a private practice utilizing movement modalities and cranial -sacral therapy.

Benny Buettner-(actor, magician, mime, clown, puppeteer) Benny has over twenty years professional acting experience in Europe and America. As a member of SAG he has been featured in films, such as Dr. Dolittle, The Princess Diaries and on TV in Nash Bridges. His Bay Area stage credits include performances at the Magic Theatre,  City Arts Theatre, various festivals and comedy clubs. He is the co-founder of Magic Circus,  www.MagicCircus.com  - providing educational and entertainment programs for children and adults.

Marcy Dubova-Marcy has studied improvisation, storytelling and psychodrama at the Marin Theatre Company, Dominican College, College of Marin and with various professionals. She has appeared in many local venues as a storyteller and regularly utilizes “Playback” in her private therapy practice.  Marcy thoroughly enjoys her status as the “senior” in the Bay Area Playback Theatre troupe.

Laura Falk Scott   A former lawyer and gallery owner, Laura has studied acting with Allen Taylor and Armand Voulkas and was Project Director for Antenna Theater’s acclaimed educational outreach initiative, “The High School Project,” and is a school docent for SFMOMA.

Martin Masters  Martin is a classically-trained mime and movement artist. He has been teaching, directing, producing and performing for over 30 years. Martin is also an accomplished character actor, stilt walker and improvisational teacher. He has appeared in over 30 commercials and movies.

Duncan Sylvester-Duncan got his start performing with the Earth Circus Performance Troupe, incorporating Dance, Stilting, and Acrobatics. He toured with them to England and Ireland: He has also worked with the Sonoma based experimental theatre group The Independent Eye. Duncan has worked in acute psychiatric hospitals for 20 years. He is an accomplished musician as well.

Cynthia Zecic   Graduate of the California Institute of Integral Studies Drama Therapy Program in San Francisco, Cynthia has dabbled in theatre over the last 20 years - from acting roles in community plays to a directing role in the first National American Drama Festival in Hungary.  Currently working as a STAT Clinician toward MFT licensure, she thrives in commitment to capturing the essence of story, motherhood, and creating possibility.