A Dove's Song: Re-Membering The Way Home - A Playback Theater Performance

May 16th from 2:00 to 5:00 PM in Oceanside California.

Free event. Donations accepted. 

What is Playback Theater?

Playback Theater takes stories from the audience members who are invited to share moments, memories, and reflections in response to a theme. The actors skilled in the art of listening play back through improvisation the stories that were shared, creating a collective healing experience.

What is A Dove's Song?

"Stories carry memory. Re-Membering carries truth. Witnessing brings healing..." 

For 18 days, 14-year old Emily Pike had been missing...

On Valentine's Day in 2025, in garbage bags on a lonely desert road, Emily was discovered. 

A Dove’s Song is a powerful poem written by R Strongbow inspired by the tragic story of 14-year old Emily Pike, a member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe. This event, A Dove's Song: Re-Membering The Way Home is dedicated to honoring the lives of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People (#MMIWP).

A Dove’s Song is an invitation to honor lives impacted by trauma and participate in a collective movement to transform trauma into healing and awareness.

We invite you to join us for a powerful playback theater experience. In a supportive atmosphere, we will use sharing, embodied improvisational performance, and sound healing to elevate voices of those who have been silenced. This event will acknowledge the deep impact of the ongoing human trafficking crisis and its unique effects on native communities. We look forward to holding and witnessing these stories from our community together. 

May 5 is recognized across the United States and Canada as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People (#MMIWP). This day honors those who are impacted and those whose voices can no longer be heard. 

EVENT PROGRAM:

1:30 to 2:00: Arrival and Orient to Venue

2:00 to 2:15: Welcome and Land Acknowledgement 

2:15 to 2:30: A Dove's Song Poem Reading and Event Blessing

2:30 to 4:00: Playback Theater Performance

4:00 to 4:30: Sound Healing

4:30 to 5:00 Connections and Closing

5:00 to Sunset: Mix & Mingle

Maria Mellano, Psychotherapist, Dramatist & Coach & Integral Bloom Practice Owner & Leader

Maria Mellano, LICSW, CP/PAT is a seasoned psychotherapist and dramatist with three decades of professional experience. She is a Certified Practitioner of Psychodrama also trained in psychodynamic and relational analysis, DBT and IFS. As an Ontological Coach she empowers you to move on with grace, respect and effectiveness from the limitations of your past to bloom a values, intention and purpose aligned life you love. 

Raquel Carrillo Strongbow, Symbolic to the Soul Artist

Strongbow Creations was founded in 2020. The shop owner is a descendant of the Acjachemen Nation, based out of San Juan Capistrano, California. Meet artwork designed to hold spiritual significance - Strongbow Creations creates art and designs that create beauty and are symbolic to the soul. Strongbow's candles and creations are an experience to be enjoyed believing beauty and art have a tremendous healing impact on our souls.

Heart to Heart Playback Ensemble

We have a deep commitment to the stories of all people, to the heart and essence of each story, and to the gift of honoring stories by enacting them for the teller, in the moment, improvisationally.  Despite the uniqueness of any individual story, stories often share a common ground upon which we all stand.  Hearing the stories of others lessens isolation and reflects a shared humanity.  Playback Theater, in all types of audiences, helps people laugh together, grieve together, and dream together, much like the campfires of old or the shaman's circle of antiquity. Troupe members become well practiced in the philosophy and forms of Playback Theater as developed by founders Jonathan Fox and Jo Salas, as well as our unique forms of presentation, in order to create a safe and nurturing 

Olivia Mick, Sound Healing, Yoga and Herbalist

Olivia Mick is a Tuning Fork Sound Therapy Practitioner, Yoga Instructor and Herbalist. She is also trained in facilitating the use of multi-instruments for private and group sound healings as well as other energy healing modalities. She also provides 1:1 support through realigning the mind, body and soul by reducing stress, trauma and pain using healing frequencies, yoga therapy and herbalism. Her sessions have been described as a full sensory immersive experience. 

She enjoys working with adults, children and animals. When utilizing sound therapy for any individual we are reminding the body of its natural resonance and allowing it to come back to that state and creating healing within. These sessions may elicit deep relaxation, coming back to the present moment, giving the body-mind the opportunity to re-calibrate. Her intention is to increase awareness of this ancient healing therapy and share the experience of sound healing to all.