Verbatim Performance Lab

The Verbatim Performance Lab (VPL) emerged following the success of Her Opponent, a re-staging of excerpts from the 2016 U. S. Presidential debates with gender-reversed casting, created by Maria Guadalupe (INSEAD) and Joe Salvatore (NYU Steinhardt). That performance premiered at the Provincetown Playhouse in January 2017 and then went on to enjoy an Off Broadway run at The Jerry Orbach Theater. A full archival video of the performance is available here.

The ability of Her Opponent to stimulate conversation amongst its audience members inspired the creation of VPL. We use verbatim performance and documentary theatre techniques to examine what we think we know and understand about preconceived notions and biases but through a new and different lens and under a more penetrating light.

VPL produces content that challenges accepted political, cultural, and social narratives, while embracing the philosophy that social change emerges from dialogue, not monologue. We hope that educators and activists will find this content useful in their teaching and organizing.

Current Happenings with VPL:

• The Democratic Field 3: Warren Wins, Steyer Surprises, and Republicans Represent
• Intern Spotlight: Lilly Stannard
• Intern Spotlight: Sudaraka Ariyaratne
• VPL visits History Classes at The Chapin School
• VPL at the United Nations International School

• Return to The Play