The Art of Storytelling
Workshop at The Gamm Theatre
I’ve been searching for a way to share what I’ve learned as a storyteller over my career and am delighted to partner with the Gamm Theater in offering a seven-week course, “The Art of Storytelling.”
Storytelling is an art that draws on the talents and experiences of each performer. Everyone brings something different to the table. Teacher, actor, organizer, executive, parent – we all tell stories in life and in our work. It will be my job to help you find the best way to tell the stories you want to tell. I’m welcoming students from all backgrounds and experiences, and we’ll quickly see that there’s no one right way to do this, nor is it a contest. My friend, storyteller and playwright Kevin Kling told me “Everybody needs a safe place to fall.” And that’s what this class will be.
Sessions are scheduled for two and a half hours, Monday nights, 6:30 to 9pm starting on April 25. We will be taking a break on Memorial Day, May 30. The last night of class is scheduled for June 6. BUT!! We’ll meet one more time, probably that following Monday, June 13th for a performance of stories by class members. Don’t even think about that now – we’ll burn that bridge when we get to it.
Because I want to give each person enough time to listen, learn, practice, and tell, I’m limiting the class to ten students.
What Will We Do?
The beginning of every class will include some story exercises to explore different aspects of storytelling. In some classes, I may offer prompts to get you to share stories from your personal experiences. In others, we’ll work with traditional material (i.e., folktales) as a starting point. In others, we’ll work on technique – vocal and physical work to explore how you might tell a story. These will be meant to take you just a tad outside your comfort zone so you can see what’s possible. Other class activities will include looking at some video of solo performers I really like and you telling stories – to a partner, in small groups, and to the whole class. There is no shortcut here – the more you tell, the better you get at it, and I want to get you on your feet (even if you’re sitting) and telling as much as possible. We’ll end each class with a look back at what we’ve done.
As we go along, part of your work will be to identify a story you really want to tell and to work on that story. You may already know what that story is, but if not, don’t worry – we’ll find one, everyone has a story to tell. My hope is that by the end of the class you’ll have learned the tools and gained the confidence to tell your story.
Assignments?
Not the first week. Bring your good self. As we go along, you’ll find working on stories outside of class will help you, but it’s a short time and we have busy lives. We’ll do what we can. The more you put in, the more you’ll get out…just like life itself.
Critiquing?
In my professional life, I’ve been through the mill from critiquing. I’ve had experiences that were tremendously helpful and some that were so brutal they made me want to quit. I’m only interested in the helpful kind, supporting you in finding your voice and I will keep a watchful eye on how we speak to each other about our work. Over the years, I’ve worked to develop a model that supports people and lets the storyteller guide the discussion of their work. In this, I’ve been very much guided by choreographer Liz Lerman’s approach, Critical Response Process.
If you have questions about the class, feel free to email me at storytelling@billharley.com
Ready to Register?
Go the GammTheatre.org or click here!