It's been a long time since I've posted anything. As they say in Vanuatu, sori tumas. Just recently I attended a Network of Biblical Storytellers Gathering in Asheville, NC and had a great time watching others perform their stories. This time I got into the act a bit by participating in a coaching session for storytellers. I would not have been ready for something like this at an earlier conference, but really appreciated the input I got from the coaches and other tellers. I would say it was for me the highlight of the gathering. My experience with storytelling comes from listening to family stories and living in cultures where storytime is a part of a normal day. But I don't have much of any background with drama, and both my storytelling coaches did. I appreciated being pushed to tell with more dramatic expression, making my gestures larger and my emotion fit the mood of the story. The feedback from the audience was very positive and the audience really liked the change, stating it more on the scale of a metamorphosis. I know some professional storytellers encourage new storytellers to find their own voice, tell their stories naturally, but I think knowing something of drama basics can add much to the storyteller's performance. Perhaps the goal is to find a good meeting place between culture, telling, performing or acting and one's style and identity or person.
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