A check in after some stories
Hello friends,
This must be a short entry, as I am currently trying to catch up on my work. My reason for being behind in my work is that the International Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN (7 miles away from my apartment) was this past weekend. It was incredible: there were dozens of master storytellers, each telling in a unique style. My mind is still attempting to sort through the plethora of tellers I saw, and as I have a slightly more relaxed schedule, I’ll be sure fill you in a bit more. But my one piece of advice for this entry is: if there’s anyway you can make it to this festival next year (the first weekend of October), do. It is a comical, inspirational, spiritual experience; and so much more, so keep it in mind. Visit www.storynet.org for a bit more information and I hope to see you there next October.
Best,
Lethan
November 2nd, 2007 at 10:31 pm
I hope you don’t mind a rambling post, but it’s Friday and I’ve had a few PBR’s. I felt the same way after my first National Storytelling Festival last year. This year, though, I felt mostly frustrated. I’d seen it before- there was very little different. The stories themselves were different, of course, for the most part, but the styles were pinnable- here’s the Guy Who Does Voices, here’s the Sassy Woman. They were different Guys and Women, but the techniques were the same. I blame the Audience, which seems to really want What They Came For.
Speaking of the Storytelling voice- I wonder if my own is something that audience would want to hear, and the cynic in me is doubtful. I figured out, though, that what I miss about the theatre that I don’t get in storytelling. It’s the collaborative process of rehearsal. Sure, you can workshop your stories, but it’s still entirely yours, as you decide what suggestions to take and what to leave out. While performances can be very fulfilling, they just don’t “do it” for me (at least not currently), and what I really love is the process of discovery in a collaborative effort.