What PLAYBACK MEMPHIS does

PLAYBACK MEMPHIS, legally known as Everystory and doing business as Memphis Playback Theatre, is a Memphis-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2008 that delivers programs built on the Playback Theatre methodology — an interactive, improvisational theatre form in which audience members share personal stories and trained ensemble performers spontaneously dramatize and reflect those stories using movement, music, and dialogue. The organization operates a portfolio of five named programs: Memphis Matters (ticketed public performances uplifting real community stories), Be The Peace (a curriculum-based program for youth focused on empathy, trust, and nonviolent communication), Community Matters (programming for community leaders and organizations fostering connection and psychological safety), Listening For A Change (story-based dialogue for complex environments), and For Your Organization (customizable engagements for external institutions).

The organization's core technology is its trained ensemble and Playback Theatre methodology, paired with research-backed social-emotional learning curricula; it has no proprietary software, app, or API. Customer segments span students and educators, teams and organizations, community leaders, and the general Memphis public. Revenue is generated through three streams: individual and organizational donations, ticket sales for public performances (sold via Eventbrite), and fee-for-service organizational partnership programs. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, relying on public performances, word-of-mouth, organizational referrals, and its website (everystory.org) as primary demand channels. The organization employs 7 people and operates exclusively within the Memphis metropolitan area from its headquarters at 1000 S. Cooper Street, Memphis, TN.

Name

PLAYBACK MEMPHIS

Legal name

Everystory

Website

https://playbackmemphis.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Memphis-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that uses the Playback Theatre methodology and trained ensemble performers to deliver interactive improvisational theatre and social-emotional learning programs to students, educators, organizations, and community members across the Memphis metropolitan area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Theatre and Social-Emotional Learning Services

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Improvisational Theatre (MPAGABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM), Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG), Community Theatre & Storytelling Festivals (MPAGAEAI)

Keywords

• Community theatre programs
• Social-emotional learning
• Playback theatre
• Youth empathy education
• Interactive storytelling

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Everystory relies on donations from individuals and organizations to fund community-based programs in schools, neighborhoods, and public spaces across Memphis.
2. Program Fees: Revenue generated through organizational programs and public performances such as Memphis Matters events, where tickets are sold through Eventbrite.
3. Organizational Partnership Programs: Fee-for-service programs delivered to organizations including Be The Peace, Community Matters, and Listening For A Change curricula.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Everystory (doing business as PLAYBACK MEMPHIS) delivers Playback Theatre-based programs in which trained ensemble members spontaneously dramatize real stories shared by audience members. Offerings include public community performances (Memphis Matters), youth/school curricula (Be The Peace), community-leader empowerment (Community Matters), story-based dialogue for complex environments (Listening For A Change), and customized programs for external organizations.

Product overview

Everystory is a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of Playback Theatre-based programs designed for community healing, social-emotional learning, and connection-building. The core programs include Memphis Matters (public performances), Be The Peace (youth-focused curriculum), Community Matters (organizational empowerment), and Listening For A Change (story-based dialogue). The organization also offers customized programs for external organizations through its 'For Your Organization' service. These programs collectively use true stories, interactive theatre, and research-backed social-emotional learning to create experiences where people are heard, healing begins, and connection grows.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Memphis Matters Public performances that uplift real stories from the Memphis community and bring audiences together through shared narrative experiences delivered by the trained Everystory ensemble. Open to individual community members and families who purchase tickets via Eventbrite.
• Be The Peace Curriculum-based program using interactive theatre and storytelling to build empathy, trust, and nonviolent communication skills, with a focus on youth impact and school safety. Designed for K-12 schools and educators in Memphis.
• Community Matters Empowering program for community leaders and organizations to foster connection and psychological safety through theatre-based storytelling. Targeted at Memphis-area civic groups, nonprofits, and community leaders.
• Listening For A Change Story-based dialogue program that sparks understanding, reflection, and healing in complex environments, supporting organizational and community transformation. Designed for groups operating in complex or high-tension environments.
• For Your Organization Customizable programs that bring Everystory's Playback Theatre and storytelling approaches to external organizations for their teams, students, or community members. Targeted at schools, workplaces, and community groups seeking tailored delivery.

Quantifiable outcome

• People have been talking about the performance for weeks after the event

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Committee for Children (Second Step): A large-scale SEL curriculum provider whose Second Step program targets the same K-12 social-emotional learning use cases that Everystory's Be The Peace addresses. Comparable buyer (school districts) and outcome area, though delivered via packaged curriculum rather than live theatre.
• CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning): The leading SEL framework and advocacy organization whose research-backed standards shape what schools and districts purchase. Everystory's 'research-backed SEL curriculum' positioning directly competes for the same SEL funding buckets CASEL helps define.
• The Second City: Major improvisational theatre company with corporate training and applied-improv workshops alongside entertainment. Overlaps with Everystory in improvisational methodology and corporate team-building use cases, though operating at national scale.

Direct peers

• Center for Playback Theatre: The international hub supporting Playback Theatre practice, training, and ensemble development worldwide. Comparable core methodology and ensemble-based delivery model, though it operates at a global governance level rather than a single local market.
• True Story Theater: A Playback Theatre company in the Boston area that spontaneously dramatizes audience stories for community, organizational, and school programs. Directly comparable methodology, mission, and customer segments as Everystory.

Regional players

• Storytellers Theatre of Denton: A Texas-based community theatre organization delivering interactive performance and storytelling programs. Comparable community-facing theatre programming, but operating in a different metropolitan market.
• Camp Fire (formerly Camp Fire USA): A national youth development nonprofit delivering SEL, leadership, and community-engagement curricula in schools and out-of-school programs. Overlaps with Everystory's youth SEL use case, but at much greater scale and through multi-state delivery.

Others

• Eventbrite: The ticketing platform Everystory uses to sell Memphis Matters tickets to the general public. Functions as a distribution and customer-acquisition channel rather than a competitor.

Emerging players

• Improbable (UK applied theatre company): UK-based applied theatre company that uses interactive performance to drive social change, civic engagement, and organizational transformation. Comparable applied-theatre-to-impact model and similar blend of public performance and contracted programs.
• Applied Drama (UK-based applied theatre practitioners): An applied-theatre organization using interactive performance for social impact, community building, and organizational change. Comparable applied-theatre methodology and similar non-profit, mission-driven positioning, though geographically UK-focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/playback-memphis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PLAYBACK MEMPHIS