What is InterPlay?

InterPlay is an active, creative way to unlock the wisdom of the body.

InterPlay is easy, fun, and life changing. It is based in a series of incremental “forms” that lead participants to movement and stories, silence and song, ease and amusement. In the process, we discover the wisdom in ourselves and our communities.

InterPlay integrates body, mind, heart and spirit. Life has become so fragmented. InterPlay helps to pull everything back together so we get more of what we want.

InterPlay is devoted to fun. It teaches the language and ethic of play in a deep and powerful way. If you are convinced that seriousness is the path to inner wisdom, then you might want to look elsewhere. If you would like to become a “recovering serious person,” then TYPICALInterPlay might be for you.

InterPlay is firmly based in affirmation and looking for the good. You don’t have to think of yourself as creative in order to do InterPlay. We can teach you that part easily. We get far too much criticism in our lives already. We need to spend more time in the warm bath of acceptance.

InterPlay is the perfect antidote to stress and cynicism.

People in an InterPlay class

InterPlay is a community of people around the world who speak the shared language of a wide and deep variety of play. It is a body of bodies who enjoy contact and connection. You don't have to dive in the deep end of InterPlay to learn and benefit from it, but it does exist and some wonderful folks are “swimming” there.

InterPlay has been developed by Cynthia Winton-Henry and Phil Porter starting in 1989 and it has spread around the world.


Resources for the Press

Some background materials about InterPlay.

InterPlay Co-founders   Biographies of InterPlay Co-founders Cynthia Winton-Henry & Phil Porter

InterPlay in the News   Online and print articles that have appeared about InterPlay.

Q & A: InterPlay Facts   Basic information about InterPlay for those not familiar with the practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens in a typical InterPlay class?

How does InterPlay work?

How is InterPlay used in everyday life?

Where and when is InterPlay happening?

Who does InterPlay?

How did InterPlay start?

What happens in a typical InterPlay class?

Dorothy in classAlthough InterPlay classes can take different shapes, a class will generally begin with a warm-up and then move into a series of what we call InterPlay “forms,” which are simple structures for playing with movement, stories and voice. There are a few basic forms and then variations of those.

The forms are taught incrementally, and are easy-to-learn, and if there are new people in the class, we go over the basics as needed. Over the course of a class, or a series of classes, participants will learn several if not many ways to play with “what a body can do.”

Most of the forms involve interaction with at least one or a few other people, providing excellent ways to connect easily with others. You won’t be put “on the spot” and there are many ways that you get to choose what you will do or not do. In the process you learn more about how your body works, what is possible, how to find the greatest amount of ease in the process.

You get to play a lot with your own “information.” You will also learn to move through self-consciousness in easy ways. You don’t need to think of yourself as being creative in order to do InterPlay, but chances are you will find you are much more creative than you thought.

What happens in a typical InterPlay class?

Although InterPlay classes can take different shapes, a class will generally begin with a warm-up and then move into a series of what we call InterPlay “forms,” which are simple structures for playing with movement, stories and voice. There are a few basic forms and then variations of those. The forms are taught incrementally, and are easy-to-learn, and if there are new people in the class, we go over the basics as needed. Over the course of a class, or a series of classes, participants will learn several if not many ways to play with “what a body can do.”

Most of the forms involve interaction with at least one or a few other people, providing excellent ways to connect easily with others. You won’t be put “on the spot” and there are many ways that you get to choose what you will do or not do. In the process you learn more about how your body works, what is possible, how to find the greatest amount of ease in the process. You get to play a lot with your own “information.” You will also learn to move through self-consciousness in easy ways. You don’t need to think of yourself as being creative in order to do InterPlay, but chances are you will find you are much more creative than you thought.

How Does InterPlay Work?

InterPlay reconnects us with the wisdom of our bodies—what we know from paying attention to our own experience. We are often cut off from that wisdom by the expectation of others, by external authority, by fear or repression. InterPlay is rooted in creating, in looking for the good, in play. The InterPlay atmosphere is one of ease and fun, rather than struggle. We gain huge insights from the simplest of activities—learning through playing—and regain confidence in our ability to respond in the moment.

How is InterPlay used in everyday life?

InterPlay helps us reduce stress and regain balance in our lives. It gives us tools for dealing with unexpected or difficult situations. It helps us to be “lighter” and to savor the good things in our lives. It reminds us to breathe. It also creates community—a web of relationships that can support us in what we want and need.

Where and when is InterPlay happening?

InterPlay originated in the San Francisco Bay Area. The national office, InterPlayce, is located in downtown Oakland where events also occur on a regular basis. InterPlay is practiced in many parts of the United States and in other countries around the world. InterPlay is often done in retreat formats with participants coming from far and wide.

Check out the schedule of events.

More about “Untensive” retreats.

More about the Life Practice Program.

Who does InterPlay?

InterPlay is intergenerational, multicultural and interfaith. InterPlayers come in all shapes and sizes. InterPlay is being done with elders and the very young, and many people are applying InterPlay in their professional lives.

How did InterPlay start?

InterPlay was developed by Cynthia Winton-Henry and Phil Porter who have been collaborating as artists, performers, teachers, writers and philosophers for over 30 years. They have both been interested in how individuals and communities could regain a sense of integration and connectedness—how all the parts of our lives can work well together. They recognized that the process of creating in the moment has a powerful effect and is a great teaching tool. They have honed their technique over the last 20 years, and many others have contributed to the wisdom of this system. It is constantly growing and changing as the movement spreads throughout the world.