NSN Conference - Updates This section will be an ongoing post with updates as they come in from NSN
Where: Mesa, Arizona When: July 24-27, 2014 Theme:Fire & Light Storytelling illuminates who we are as individuals and as a community. Stories spark deeper understanding; they enlighten our minds and hearts. Stories light the fire of joy and laughter.
RFPs:
Workshop proposals for 90 minute breakout sessions are due December 9, 2013 - Click here for info
Proposals for 55 minute Fringe performances are due Decamber 31, 2013 - Click here for info
New Story Circle in East Valley Colleague Harriet Cole tells us she has started a new Story Circle in Tempe at Saint Augustine's Episcopal Parish 1735 S College (this is the church next to Doug Bland's Community Christian Church).
This is a monthly Story Circle that is is open to all as a place to safely explore the sacred in all forms of storytelling. Harriet says, "It's not confined to 'sacred' stories, but it focuses on the overall sacredness of storytelling. It is a generally Episcopalian group, so we open with prayer."
The next meeting is Tuesday November 12 at 7:00 pm.
Subsequent times and dates have not yet been established. Harriet adds, "We're a tad unpredictable concerning which Tuesday we land on in which month."
The Future of Storytelling Storyteller and colleague Rachel Egboro recently wrote, "I just registered for the Future of Storytelling MOOC (massive open online course) offered for free through iversity. This would be a great resource for storytellers. It's free, international, 8-weeks and focuses on new forms of fictional storytelling."
I checked out the website, and it looks very interesting. Here's part of what you will do:
Learn storytelling basics such as antagonist/protagonist relationships, narrative/narrated time
Look at exciting current media projects
Analyze how they are designed and executed based on aforementioned basics
Discuss how (and if) new online tools and formats change the way stories are told and perceived.
The 8-chapter course started on October 25th, and ends on December 20th, but I believe you can still sign up.
AZ Republic Live Storytelling Monday, November 4th In the Kitchen, Behind the Bar: A Night of Storytelling - AND EATING!
A night of stories of your favorite dishes and drinks and the characters behind them. We'll celebrate some of the Valley's most creative culinary and bartending talents as they share stories of cooking capers, destroyed dishes and tasty triumphs.
Featured tellers:
Brian Goodwin, bartender at The Gladly
Clint Spotleson, bartender at Virtu
Lee Hillson, Executive Sous Chef at The Phoenician
Aaron May, chef and partner with LTB Concepts
Travis Nass, bartender at The Last Drop Bar at Lon’s at the Hermosa
Ticket price covers three-course dinner, tax, tip and admission to event.
No additional reservations needed. Ticket purchase serves as reservation. TICKETS ARE LIMETED TO 55 PARTICIPANTS - Only 8 tickets left (as of Thursday 10-31)
The Original Chopped Salad - smoked Scottish salmon, couscous, arugula, pepitas, asiago cheese, black currants, dried sweet corn, roma tomatoes, buttermilk basil dressing
SECOND COURSE choice of entrée
Pan Seared Scallops - served medium, cola gastrique, bacon, sweet corn grits, pea greens {gf}
Dustin Loehr Premieres Footnotes Storyteller and tap soloist Dustin Loehr announces the Arizona premiere of Footnotes of the Untellable Tale. Structured similarly to a cabaret show, Loehr taps and tells through the creative process of an artist. In this upbeat expression, audience members will see the scenes before the show, the words before the script, and the experiences that fuel an artist to create. See and hear how everything is a story in this one-man show.
At the Herberger Theatre, downtown Phoenix.
Performances are 12:10 pm - 12:45 pm
Monday-Wednesday-Friday - November 5-6-7 AND 12-13-14
Odyssey Storytelling Announces 2014 Themes Odyssey Storytelling, a Tucson original since 2004, has put hundreds of local folks on the storytelling stage. Storytellers entertain, inspire and enlighten eager audiences with true, personal stories told from the heart. Get involved as a teller or a listener—all ages are invited, but stories are never censored.
Odyssey hosts shows (almost) every first Thursday of the month at FLUXX Studios and Gallery. Six invited tellers share ten-minute stories on the theme. Never read or memorized, tales are told from the life experiences and creativity of the teller.
This week's show: Thursday, November 7, 2013 Show at 7 p.m., Doors open at 6:30 p.m. REVENGE: STORIES OF GETTING EVEN Fluxx Studios and Gallery, 416 E. 9th St., Tucson
ANNOUNCING the 2014 Themes Stories of love, community, imprisonment, secrets, food and MORE!
January 10 (FRIDAY) - Greener Grass? New Places, Faces and Spaces
February - Odd Couples
March 6 - Anniversaries: Ten Years of Odyssey Storytelling!
April 3 - The Gun Show
May 1 - Neighbors: Stories from the ‘hood
June 5 - Behind Bars: Incarcerations of the Body, Mind & Heart
July 11 (FRIDAY) - Met on the Net
August 7 - Secret Stories
September 4 - Out of this World: Amazing, supernatural or unforgettable
October 2 - Peer Pressure
November 6 - Breaking Bread
December 4 - OMG! The Cringe Show
Odyssey is excited to add new curators Carolyn Fort, C. Michael Woodward, James Austin, Jennifer Clark and Diane Delp! You’ll see the familiar faces of Tony Paniagua, Molly McCloy, Penelope Starr and Lori Riegel, along with Odyssey producers Shannon Snapp, Adam Hostetter, and Roscoe Mutz.
Still a bargain, with ticket prices at $8.00. Come see a show! If one of the themes strikes a chord, contact us about being a storyteller. Email Stories@Odysseystorytelling.com or call (520) 730-4112.
Re-Charge Your Storytelling Engine "I have no stories to tell!"
How many new storytelling students have voiced that lament? How many of US have ever felt that way? Even experienced tellers get "tellers block" from time to time. Here are a few ways to pull yourself out of the doldrums, refresh your spirit and re-charge your storytelling engine:
Music
Playing music changes your mindset. My go-to genre is Show Tunes. They energize me. I sing along out loud, and with the shows I have done, remember the great times and fun. Often, I remember small incidents that I can turn into stories.
Exercise
I ride my bike, sometimes around the neighborhood, sometimes on the canal. Exercise gets the body going. Take a look around you, see what stories may be lurking, “just around the corner.”
People Watching
Europeans know how to do it. Just sit and observe. One of the best ways is to sit at a small café or coffee shop. Inside or outside, you’ll see lots going on. Watch people interacting with friends, loved ones, and even strangers. What are they talking about. Can you eavesdrop? Can you make up a story about them?
Pets
Walk the dog, or just sit with your pet. Watch how they play. My dog can play fetch for hours. Cats can make a cardboard box their playground for an entire afternoon. I wonder what they are thinking. There’s great subject matter here – especially if you approach it from the first person, point-of-view of your pet!
Housework
Kill two birds with one stone. Washing dishes (by hand) can send you straight to the food that was on it the night before. Or maybe you just start to think about “where did that mug come from? Who gave that to me?” Or even, “Why did my ex and I split this set of plastic patio-ware? Neither of us has a complete set?” Now there’s some fodder for a tale!
Those are just a few concepts. The idea is to get away from obsessing about crafting a story so you can clear your mind, then fill your mind - then go back to crafting!
Not the Three Little Pigs! How a Fractured Fairy Tale Came to Be!
Storyteller and colleague Simon Brooks has written a great blog about on-the-spot improvisation, turning around a story to fit the situation.
Part of the art of storytelling is working on the fly: improvisation. Storytellers do it all the time. As a live performer, especially working with kids, you get people calling out every once in while, making some comment and you have the choice to ignore it, or acknowledge it, or work it into the story. . .
- National Storytelling Network? You should be.
This section will be an ongoing post with updates as they come in from NSN
Colleague Harriet Cole tells us she has started a new Story Circle in Tempe at Saint Augustine's Episcopal Parish 1735 S College (this is the church next to Doug Bland's Community Christian Church).
Storyteller and colleague Rachel Egboro recently wrote, "I just registered for the Future of Storytelling MOOC (massive open online course) offered for free through iversity. This would be a great resource for storytellers. It's free, international, 8-weeks and focuses on new forms of fictional storytelling."
Monday, November 4th
Storyteller and tap soloist Dustin Loehr announces the Arizona premiere of Footnotes of the Untellable Tale. Structured similarly to a cabaret show, Loehr taps and tells through the creative process of an artist. In this upbeat expression, audience members will see the scenes before the show, the words before the script, and the experiences that fuel an artist to create. See and hear how everything is a story in this one-man show.
Odyssey Storytelling, a Tucson original since 2004, has put hundreds of local folks on the storytelling stage. Storytellers entertain, inspire and enlighten eager audiences with true, personal stories told from the heart. Get involved as a teller or a listener—all ages are invited, but stories are never censored.
"I have no stories to tell!"
How a Fractured Fairy Tale Came to Be!
