The Moth is Here! Last night was the premier of The Moth in Phoenix! A sold-out crowd cheered on the ten tellers who were pulled from the hat in the first ever Moth Live Storytelling presentation at the Crescent Ballroom. Kayden Sheffield was the first teller at the first Moth with the theme of "The First". The energy in the room was super high, and Kaden crushed it! The winner for the evening was Nancy Wolfert (hope I spelled that right).
The Moth is planning at least two more nights in Phoenix during the summer. Dates coming soon.
Early Bird Registration for the 2018 National Storytelling Summit! BTW...Did you know that
NSN has a BRAND NEW website? Check it out!
Registration for the 2018 National Storytelling Summit is NOW OPEN! NSN is offering a special early bird discount for a limited time only, so don’t wait, register today! The Storytelling Summit will be held in Kansas City, Missouri at the Marriott Country Club Plaza Hotel, July 26-28, 2018.
The 2018 Summit theme is “Communities, Conflicts, and Transformational Stories.” The Summit is a great chance to see over 20 performances, award-winning keynote speakers and participate in over 25 workshops over a four-day period, conducted by the “cream-of-the-crop” of storyteller presenters. Also come join as we honor our top Storytellers with our International ORACLE Awards on Saturday, July 28 at noon.
The vision of the Summit is to bring together all the individuals, organizations, businesses and institutions who seek to advance their skills, knowledge and showcase their talent from across the world. It is also a great time to see old friends and meet new ones through our networking events, that will encourage sharing information, mentoring, long-lasting collaborations and friendships. You will meet individuals using storytelling in all of its forms and mediums at the National Storytelling Summit.
Spring/Summer Coaching Sale! Spring is here, and with it comes a plethora of First-Person, True-Tale Storytelling events. Sunday, there was The Moth, Friday was Dan Hull's Storyline Slam, and this week there is the Arizona Storytellers Project. And there are several other open-mic events where folks are telling personal stories. There have been many discussions regarding Personal vs. Traditional stories. In the end, it's a matter of personal "taste".
The bottom line is that true, personal storytelling is here to stay. That means if you want to be part of that community, you have to come up with new stories (or rework old ones) to fit the theme of each monthly or weekly gathering. I can hep you!
Want to make a great impression? Want people to remember you and your story? Do you aspire to "win the prize" or be the best of the night? Then it's time for a choaching session!
During the spring and summer months, from now until Aug 31st!
I am offering coaching services at just over HALF OFF! My usual fee is $85/hour,
For this special sale, it will be $40/hour+
(we'll often go a bit over an hour for no extra charge)
I can come to you for in-person coaching, or coach via Skype or video calling on smart phones. Whatever works for you!
Send me an E-mail, or call so we can discuss your needs and schedule a sessin.
Here are just a couple of responses from folks I have coached. You can see more here
Your specific tips effectively prodded us to delve deeper into our stories and to bring that depth into the telling. Your coaching process avoids heavy-handed "oughts" and probes each teller to embrace their own style and to expand upon their own specific skills and nuances.
Cassandra, Phoenix
The coaching that you offered me was superb, and I feel that I am on the way to raising my storytelling to another level. You guided me to discover and experience for myself many improvements that will enhance my telling, and you gave me excellent suggestions for further work and practice to achieve them. I look forward to meeting the challenge that you set before me.
Joyce, Phoenix
Have confidene the next time you put your name in the hat!
Wednesday - April 25th - 6:30-8:00 PM
Taliesin West,
12621 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd.
Scottsdale, AZ 85259
Finding the perfect home – and keeping it that way – can be crazy, comforting, and everything in between. Join The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com for stories about real estate, renovations, and the meaning of home.
This show is presented in partnership with Street Scout, which is a local real estate and neighborhood website that provides the most accurate home valuations in Arizona. To learn more, visit streetscout.com.
Emcees: Megan Finnerty, founder of The Storytellers Project, and Catherine Reagor, senior real-estate reporter at The Arizona Republic and Street Scout co-founder.
Featured tellers:
Ryan Paul Johnson, Realtor
Maria Bailey Benson, entrepreneur
Karin Santiago, architect
Andrew Pielage, photographer
Kris Schultz
Become a subscriber: All Arizona Republic and azcentral subscribers receive a complimentary, gourmet brownie from Fairytale Brownies at check-in. Click here to learn about other great subscriber perks.
Accessibility Note: We are pleased to provide live open captioning for this event, sponsored by the State of Arizona, Commission for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing and provided by Karla Martin. Nearly 1 out of 5 Arizonans have hearing loss and captioning ensures that everyone can enjoy the event.
If you require accommodations related to mobility or seating for this event or a future Storytellers event, please contactinfo@storytellersproject.com.
Moon Walk Saturday - April 28th - 6:30 pm to 7:45 pm
South Mountain Environmental Education Center
10409 South Central Ave., Phoenix, 85042
Phyllis Ralley & Marian Giannatti will be hosting this monthj's Moon Hike and telling stories!
Hike on the Judith Tunell Trail at South Mountain Preserve, listen to stories, watch the moon rise, find scorpions with black lights, listen to the bats and listen to more stories. Tellers are admitted free to this event of course. Contact Jon at jishmail@phoenixzoo.org if you want to tell.
Odyssey Storytelling in Tucson - FAKE! Thursday, May 3rd - 7:00 pm The Sea of Glass Center for the Arts 330 E. 7th Street
Odyssey Storytelling Presents: Fake
Curated by Jen Nowicki Clark
$8 Adults, $6 Students
Fictional friends! Bogus braggarts! Hilarious hoaxes! In a world of fake news and fraudulent schemes, it’s hard to know what’s real anymore. Join Odyssey Storytelling on May 3 at for six true tales of things forged, fabricated, and phony.
Tickets at the door. $10 Adults, $7 Students Doors at 6:30.
Tellers Include: Nooshie Motaref Myken Dahlen Brianna Hamilton Jeff Clashman Veneranda Aguirre Jonathan Moore Drew Cronyn
SMCC Storytelling Graduation Friday, May 4, 2018 - 6:30 p.m. Community Room of the South Mountain Community Library Free and open to the public!
You are invited to the SMCC Storytelling Institute’s Annual Graduation Celebration!
Honoring this year's graduates Chrissy Dart and Chantel Freed!
We will recognize: ▪ Former Storytelling Certificate Graduates ▪ Storytelling Institute Volunteers ▪ Storytelling Guild Participants ▪ SMCC Allies and Friends ▪ Community Partners
The Whole Story - Part VI First Friday, May 4th at 7:30 PM Phoenix Art Museum Doors to Whiteman Hall open at 7:00 pm PG-13
The Whole Story returns to Phoenix Art Museum with Part VI.
On Friday, May 4, The Whole Story: Part VI will join Phoenix Art Museum to celebrate the opening night of “To Be 13” an exhibition featuring portraits of 13-year-olds by Betsey Schneider. Much like The Whole Story, the exhibit represents 250 distinctly unique people, a group about whom it would be hard to generalize or make assumptions.
In the sixth installment of The Whole Story, Adam Thomason, Ashley Brown,Dominic Braham, Ify Willson and MaryLynn Mack will join host and storyteller, Rachel Eseoghene Egboro, to share stories of moving, identity and family.
Tickets are $10 ($5 for Museum Members) Space is limited, advanced purchase is recommended Seating is first-come, first-seated Doors to Whiteman Hall open at 7:00 pm PG-13
ABOUT THE WHOLE STORY: The Whole Story brings greater depth to our understanding of the human experience from the Black perspective through personal stories. The Whole Story is presented in partnership with Phoenix Art Museum. Visitthewholestoryis.com to learn more.
Tucson Tellers of Tales - Guild Meeting Saturday, 5th - 9:30 am - 11:30 am SPECIAL VENUE FOR THIS MEETING Caritas Center for Healing
330 E 16th Street, TUCSON.
Join this vibrant group of tellers for great stories, training and community involvement!
Where Do YOU Fit in Your Traditional Story
Here's an update of a tip from just about a year ago.
Personal stories seem to be the "Tales du Jour" these days, but if you think there's no personal information in your traditional fairytale or folktale, think again.
What parts of YOU or YOUR OWN LIFE connect with your traditional story?
In Liz Warren's book, The Oral Tradition Today, Susan Klein states:
"When something within a folktale resonates with your own story, it calls to you to be its voice. And then the responsibility begins. You do whatever you need to do to get to the root of what it means to you and the truth that resides in the story."
I believe this is true for all types of stories one chooses to tell, not only folktales, but other traditional, non-personal tales. By telling a story, we always show parts of who we are. We must know all the pieces in the story to which we connect. That gives the story life.
Look at the setting, the Place. What's your connection? Look at the theme or the Point of the story. How does that connect to you? What's the struggle; the Problem? Where in your life can you relate? Look at all the characters. How do you relate and connect with each one?
"But wait, I don't connect at all with the antagonist, the villain in my story."
Ah, don't speak too soon my young friend. First, ask yourself if there has been anyone in your life that you might cast in the role of antagonist. You could model your character after that person. Or maybe, just maybe, there is a part of you that could imagine having that much anger. Or any other feeling one might need for your story.
Here's a modified Venn diagram of feelings and how they intersect.
Human beings are not 100% good or evil (characters may be, but humans are not). We are all made up of different "parts". We all have many different parts inside of us, both positive and negative. The negative parts may be small, but it is important to recognize them. You may not think you have anything in common with a murderous villain.
Hopefully, you have never murdered anyone, but perhaps you have been so angry at someone that you felt huge rage at them. Or perhaps you have been bothered repeatedly by the incessant buzzing of a thirsty mosquito, and when it finally lands on your arm, you give it the hardest slap you can - MURDERER! - Use that feeling for your character!
You must find ALL the personal connections to your story, then make conscious decisions about how you can reveal those parts in your story. How can you use specific language, your voice, body, gestures, facial expressions, etc. to reveal the parts of yourself in each character or scene?
All of this gives your story life. Give your audience the gift of the different parts of you and your life...even when it's not a story about you...but it is...but it isn't...but it is.
Mark Your Calendars Colorado Storyteller Pam Faro is coming to town! When she was here last time, we had a great "Storytellers Luncheon", perhaps we can set up another one.
This time, Pam will be doing a House Concert, hosted by the inimitable Sandy Oglesby! Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 12th. Yes, that is at the end of day, just after the KJZZ all-day Storyfest. So we should all be revved up and ready to hear some of Pam's stories, and jump in with one of our own if picked from Sandy's hat!
------------------------------------THERE'S A LOT GOING ON EACH MONTH -------------------CHECK EACH WEBSITE OR CALENDAR TO CONFIRM DATES AND TIMES ---------------------------------CALL TO MAKE SURE THE EVENT IS STILL ON
West Side Story Tellers - Storytellers Guild First Saturday of each month - GLENDALE *NO meetings in July & August http://westsidestorytellers.weebly.com
East Valley Tellers of Tales -Storytellers Guild Second Saturday of each month - SCOTTSDALE - *NO meetings in July & August http://www.evtot.com
Storyfind Fourth Saturday of each month (usually - check calendar) - *NO meetings in June & July
SMCC Storytelling Institute
A monthly workshop designed to help storytellers build community and deepen repertoire. See the Calendar
- National Storytelling Network? You should be.
Last night was the premier of The Moth in Phoenix! A sold-out crowd cheered on the ten tellers who were pulled from the hat in the first ever Moth Live Storytelling presentation at the Crescent Ballroom. Kayden Sheffield was the first teller at the first Moth with the theme of "The First". The energy in the room was super high, and Kaden crushed it! The winner for the evening was Nancy Wolfert (hope I spelled that right).
Spring is here, and with it comes a plethora of First-Person, True-Tale Storytelling events. Sunday, there was The Moth, Friday was Dan Hull's Storyline Slam, and this week there is the Arizona Storytellers Project. And there are several other open-mic events where folks are telling personal stories. There have been many discussions regarding Personal vs. Traditional stories. In the end, it's a matter of personal "taste".
Saturday - April 28th - 6:30 pm to 7:45 pm
Thursday, May 3rd - 7:00 pm
Friday, May 4, 2018 - 
First Friday, May 4th at 7:30 PM
Saturday, 5th - 9:30 am - 11:30 am
Colorado Storyteller Pam Faro is coming to town! When she was here last time, we had a great "Storytellers Luncheon", perhaps we can set up another one.
