Originally from Omaha, Nebraska, Erin Steenson became a proud member of Synergy in Action in the fall of 2010.  She has been a freelance actress in the DC area since 2009, acting professionally in theatre, film, industrial videos, and television.  In her first experience with Playback Theatre, Erin fell in love with the art form.  She appreciates the therapeutic affect that Playback has on its audience members.  For an audience member, there is something so satisfying about having your story, your inmost thoughts and feelings, given artistic life right before your eyes.  As an artist, there is such satisfaction knowing that by creating this art, you have helped audience members reach clarity, emotional healing, and a sense of peace.

Asha Edwards was born and raised in Washington, DC. She considers herself to be ‘very privileged’ to be a Synergy ensemble member because she is surrounded by a ‘very unique, talented group of spirited individuals’. Asha firmly believes ‘Synergy literally engages the community in their performances by having various persons share personal stories, which serve as the main focus of our performances. If it weren’t for community engagement, and the sharing of people’s stories, we’d have no show.’  Asha is a sophomore acting major at Howard University, where I have also gotten involved with readings and student films.

Joel Plotkin is a long-time lover and practitioner of Playback Theater. Creator of the Applied and Interactive Theater web site in 1995, he has worked to increase awareness of and cooperation among differing forms of theater for social and personal change. His career has combined teaching, scholarly work, and professional acting.

Deborah Zavos, has been performing for over 24 years and this form of theater still feels fresh and new.  She was a co-founder of DC Playback Theatre, performing and conducting  for 12 years, then started a Jewish women's company called ShemaMa Playback Theater and is now thrilled to be part of Synergy, with her dear friend Kimberly Rattley. Her personal mission to embrace, nurture and celebrate the holiness between people and within herself which is for her, the essence of playback theater.  It is where people enter the room as strangers and through the experience of telling stories and sharing thoughts and feelings the audience becomes a community.  Sharing the magic of playback has made her a very rich person!  She is thrilled to be part of this company.

Maryam Fatima is a native of High Point, NC. She is classically trained through studies with the American Musical and Dramatic Academy of Manhattan and the Negro Ensemble Company. Maryam also performs as a member of the African Continuum Theatre's Off the Circuit Ensemble. Maryam has performed in classic and new works on stages across the country. Maryam was an inaugurating member of the Negro Ensemble Company’s traveling children’s theater. Ms. Fatima is the founder of the Creative Revolt Theater Project. Creative Revolt was established with the hopes of becoming a haven for new and upcoming actors, writers and lovers of performance art. Maryam is most attracted to Playback because of its sincerity and great mixture of improve, movement and musicianship. ‘I love the work we do. More than anything I love the changes we make in ourselves while doing it.’