The Heartsparkle Players
Playback Theatre
Ensemble
31 Years of Hope and Compassion
26 Years of Public Performances
Like Us On
The Players
It was through contacts at The Evergreen State College that Aeryk joined the Heartsparkle Players in 1995. What began as another theatre gig soon became a lifestyle after experiencing firsthand the power of witnessing people’s stories and giving voice to an otherwise quiet population. He currently serves as a playback actor and musician and workshop facilitator. His other part-time work includes house manager and stage crew duties at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts in Olympia, and fielding calls in the Seattle area through the Stagehand’s Union Local #15. With his wife Vivian, he operates Olympia’s first Ashtanga yoga studio, the Bandha Room. He has also been spotted committing random acts of mime, fire juggling, Butoh, and sometimes all three at once.
Debe came to Playback Theatre in 1991 when she was searching for a way to use theatre as a tool for buidling empathy and compassion with young people. Since that time, Debe and the Heartsparkle Players have incorporated Playback and other interactive theatre techniques in their work. She has had the privilege of hearing the stories of many people, teaching Playback, traveling to numerous communities around the world, serving her own community sharing the gift of Playback with a diverse group of folks. She is honored and blessed to work with the Heartsparkle Players, a company of talented individuals, loving human beings and people who know how to have a good time! Debe has been a professional performer, storyteller and director for over 30 years. She is an accredidated trainer with the Centre for Playabck Theatre and serves on their board.
Elizabeth joined the Heartsparkle Players in 1998. In 1992 Elizabeth joined the Olympia Storytelling Guild where she met and befriended Debe Edden. Elizabeth's passion for the art of storytelling, her experience as an actor, as well as her curiosity about the human experience made her a natural match for the theatrical form of Playback Theatre. The Heartsparkle Players provide an opportunity for Elizabeth to satisfy her need to meet new people, hear their stories and learn from their experience. It gives her a chance to honor people's lives in their unique, respectful, and engaging manner. Playback Theatre satisfies her desire to not only perform, but to collaborate with talented people and explore theatrical improvisation.
(Lydia) Beth Leimbach has been practicing, performing, and helping teach playback theatre since 1991 and has been a member of The Heartsparkle Players since 1997. As an actor, musician, and conductor, she appreciates the different roles within a playback troupe and loves the ways playback helps people listen, grow, and connect with one another. She has participated in international conferences in Olympia, WA; Perth, Australia; York, England; and Sao Paulo, Brazil. When not on the playback stage, Lydia Beth works as an organic farmer and educator at The Evergreen State College; leads an acapella choir at Temple Beth Hatfiloh and sings in the Olympia Peace Choir; and gets her hands dirty in other peoples’ gardens (as well as her own) with her business, Greenacts.
Beth Leimbach
Aeryk Bjork
Debe Edden
Elizabeth Lord
Bob McKenzieSullivan
Bob McKenzie Sullivan has been involved in the performing arts most of his life as a singing and instrumentalist musician and actor. His first exposure to playback theatre was the Heartsparkle Players on a regular monthly performance at Traditions Café. He was taken in by the care with which people’s stories were taken and carefully and artistically turned into theatre and offered back to the owner of the story. He began to come to Heartsparkle workshops with an eye to teaching playback theatre to his students at Rochester High School. He is very excited to be involved in theatre that is more than entertainment. It is theatre at the service of the community and each member who shares a story.
Hari Nath
Sara Rucker Thiessen
Sara discovered The Heartsparkle Players and Playback Theatre in 1998. Playback Theatre and ensemble life are an excellent match for her interest in playful and truthful community building through the arts. Sara works for Senior Services for South Sound in Olympia Washington where she makes her home with her husband Kyle.
Hari is a sophomore at Olympia High School and has been a member of the Heartsparkle Players since the fall of 2014. One thing he would definitely want everybody to know about him is that he is very extroverted. Most people know this because he has already talked to them at least once by now. He loves to swim and bike with friends.
The Heartsparkle Players are a very talented group of performers. Their ability to listen and communicate with the audience and with each other is extraordinary. Their performances were powerful and evocative, yet also humorous and poignant.
~North Thurston School Counselor
The Players
Aeryk Bjork
It was through contacts at The Evergreen State College that Aeryk joined the Heartsparkle Players in 1995. What began as another theatre gig soon became a lifestyle after experiencing firsthand the power of witnessing people’s stories and giving voice to an otherwise quiet population. He currently serves as a playback actor and musician and workshop facilitator. His other part-time work includes house manager and stage crew duties at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts in Olympia, and fielding calls in the Seattle area through the Stagehand’s Union Local #15. With his wife Vivian, he operates Olympia’s first Ashtanga yoga studio, the Bandha Room. He has also been spotted committing random acts of mime, fire juggling, Butoh, and sometimes all three at once.
Beth Leimbach
(Lydia) Beth Leimbach has been practicing, performing, and helping teach playback theatre since 1991 and has been a member of The Heartsparkle Players since 1997. As an actor, musician, and conductor, she appreciates the different roles within a playback troupe and loves the ways playback helps people listen, grow, and connect with one another. She has participated in international conferences in Olympia, WA; Perth, Australia; York, England; and Sao Paulo, Brazil. When not on the playback stage, Lydia Beth works as an organic farmer and educator at The Evergreen State College; leads an acapella choir at Temple Beth Hatfiloh and sings in the Olympia Peace Choir; and gets her hands dirty in other peoples’ gardens (as well as her own) with her business, Greenacts.
Bob McKenzieSullivan
Bob McKenzie Sullivan has been involved in the performing arts most of his life as a singing and instrumentalist musician and actor. His first exposure to playback theatre was the Heartsparkle Players on a regular monthly performance at Traditions Café. He was taken in by the care with which people’s stories were taken and carefully and artistically turned into theatre and offered back to the owner of the story. He began to come to Heartsparkle workshops with an eye to teaching playback theatre to his students at Rochester High School. He is very excited to be involved in theatre that is more than entertainment. It is theatre at the service of the community and each member who shares a story.
The Heartsparkle Players are a very talented group of performers. Their ability to listen and communicate with the audience and with each other is extraordinary. Their performances were powerful and evocative, yet also humorous and poignant.
~North Thurston School Counselor
The Heartsparkle Players broke the tension. I love how we all came together as a group, talked and shared our stories. It was magical. and you brought out the best in our team.
~ Health Center Staff, Tacoma WA
The Heartsparkle Players are a very talented group of performers. Their ability to listen and communicate with the audience and with each other is extraordinary. Their performances were powerful and evocative, yet also humorous and poignant.
~ North Thurston School Counselor, Lacey WA
thank
Thank you so much for coming to our school and sharing your talents. I was very moved by my students' stories and openness and trust respect for each other, and the ways the stories were portrayed. Today was a gift.
~ North Thurston 5th Grade Teacher, Lacey WA
Debe Edden
Debe came to Playback Theatre in 1991 when she was searching for a way to use theatre as a tool for buidling empathy and compassion with young people. Since that time, Debe and the Heartsparkle Players have incorporated Playback and other interactive theatre techniques in their work. She has had the privilege of hearing the stories of many people, teaching Playback, traveling to numerous communities around the world, serving her own community sharing the gift of Playback with a diverse group of folks. She is honored and blessed to work with the Heartsparkle Players, a company of talented individuals, loving human beings and people who know how to have a good time! Debe has been a professional performer, storyteller and director for over 30 years. She is an accredited trainer with the Centre for Playback Theatre and serves on their board.
Elizabeth Lord
Elizabeth joined the Heartsparkle Players in 1998. In 1992 Elizabeth joined the Olympia Storytelling Guild where she met and befriended Debe Edden. Elizabeth's passion for the art of storytelling, her experience as an actor, as well as her curiosity about the human experience made her a natural match for the theatrical form of Playback Theatre. The Heartsparkle Players provide an opportunity for Elizabeth to satisfy her need to meet new people, hear their stories and learn from their experience. It gives her a chance to honor people's lives in their unique, respectful, and engaging manner. Playback Theatre satisfies her desire to not only perform, but to collaborate with talented people and explore theatrical improvisation.
Hari Nath
Hari is a sophomore at Olympia High School and has been a member of the Heartsparkle Players since the fall of 2014. One thing he would definitely want everybody to know about him is that he is very extroverted. Most people know this because he has already talked to them at least once by now. He loves to swim and bike with friends.
Sara Rucker Thiessen
Compassionate Action Project Players
Nic Cereghino
Gaston Excell-Rehm
Gini Kolsehelnik-Turner
Morgan Kolsehelnik-Turner
Parker Kolsehelnik-Turner
Samantha Waren
Sara discovered The Heartsparkle Players and Playback Theatre in 1998. Playback Theatre and ensemble life are an excellent match for her interest in playful and truthful community building through the arts. Sara works for Senior Services for South Sound in Olympia where she makes her home with her husband Kyle.
One thing I liked was you guys had some people with disabilities or they did not talk like anybody else and so I liked that you did not pick performers on how they looked or talked and that's compassionate.
~ North Thurston 5th Grade Student