From the Stage. . .
or the Editor
Art from Rachel's Perspective
My husband and I became officially "visible" for the adoption process. One could compare it to "expecting" in pregnancy. Being "visible" means that birth parents could find our profile and maybe choose us as the ones to provide a home for their little one.
You can see our profile. Feel free to share with others.
This excitement heightens my endeavor to write the book "Year of the Family: 12 Adoption tales to place in your home and to value the process today". This site can be found here.
Word has spread of this project, and I have received many offers of help or interest since its announcement last month.
I was pleasantly surprised when I received an email from Jeanne Fischer, a freelance technical writer. She volunteered to be the copy editor and wrote, "I really enjoy getting involved in projects that I believe in and your book is a beautiful idea."
Then, a couple days ago, our caseworker wondered if I might be able to perform some of the adoption folktales at a national adoption conference. I was delighted. . .until I discovered it was the same weekend as the National Storytelling Conference in Los Angeles. I am scheduled to perform stories from my Family Famine Series on parent/child relationships.
I was promised to be remembered for next year.
There is still time if you would like to help in any way for this project. Spread the word that the sales for the pre-orders are for our adoption fund. The goal is to reach $8,000 (400 books). Go to yearofthefamily.com for your reserved copy.
Thank you for your support--no matter how big or small.
If you know of any adoption folklore stories, please share with me through info@rachelhedman.com. You might see your name in the dedication and credits.
 Cap's Off to You
Featuring: Erin Taggart
Loyal Listener & Grandmother
Liberty, UT
About the Picture: Erin does not have her picture taken often and gave permission to draw a stick-figure person. Though I am not an artist, I decided to give her more flesh and thus you see the picture above.
Erin Taggart may have attended many American Library Association conventions ever since a ten-year-old, though that was not the first time that stories and literature impressed upon her mind.
Erin realized, "I was born hearing stories." Her mother, besides taking Erin to the ALA conventions, was also a "storyteller extraordinaire." Erin's mother has since passed on five year ago at the age of ninety-four.
Erin's mother kept busy throughout life as she taught Children's Literature at Weber State University, was a media specialist, and served as president of the Utah Library Association.
Erin proclaimed, "She breathed stories."
Her mother also had the honor of being the first recipient of the Karen J. Ashton Storytelling Award due to commitment, advocacy, and natural skills in the art. Erin's mother even mentored Dr. Ann Ellis, the current Weber State University Storytelling Festival Director.
Today Erin serves on the Volunteer Committee for that same festival. As Erin attends or volunteers, she is reminded of a wish. "I want to grow up to be her--a storyteller."
Erin admitted, "I try to get every story I can! I am truly addicted."
She believed there are others who are drawn to the art every day.
She stated, "I only see storytelling getting more popular. Everyone loves a story and there are so many ways to tell a story." She declared, "We need to bring the art form forward into the upcoming generation."
Thank you, Erin.
You are one of the many who shares the love of this art with and for the next generation.
What are your loyal listener memories? Email your story to
info@rachelhedman.com.
Random Rachel Ideas (RRIs)
Ideas for the Art to Embrace
Storytelling guilds will interact with each other no matter what city, state, or nation they reside. With conference calls and the Internet, there will form the Story Guild Exchange in which two groups set a date of when to call in or to broadcast to share strengths. . .and stories.
Every state has at least one guild. Some are like the Utah Storytelling Guild where there is a state organization composed of chapters or the Florida Storytelling Association with local StoryGroups. Some guilds are independent such as the groups scattered across California.
Distance no longer determines if one can "attend" a meeting. There are services that provide free conference calls. . .as long as one is willing to call a long distance number. This tends to not be an obstacle as most people have cell phones and long distance numbers are treated as if they are local numbers. Storytellers like Doug Lipman, Sean Buvala, and Eric Wolf coach or teach people through one-on-one or small groups by telephone or video-casting all the time.
It would make sense that such a communication tool could then be applied to storytelling guilds and organizations. Instead of the typical isolation of guilds, we can be in contact with each other so to cultivate that storytelling spirit that so often happens when we gather in-person at conferences or at events.
This could happen.
 YouthTellerTip
3 featured from Daily YouthTellerTip from Twitter (StorytellingAdv)
1. Kids who memorize their stories, by encouragement of parents/coaches, sound frozen. Encourage another storytelling way.
When parents and theater coaches are introduced the idea of youth storytelling in the schools, many times the method of memorization is the first one chosen. Theater people are used to scripts and there is always comfort with the known way. However, when youth memorize, they are stuck with one way of telling. There is no room for interacting with the audience. Other ways to learn stories could be through outlines, storyboarding, or playing through improvisation.
2. Welcome youth to practice storytelling differently so practicing is as fun as showtime. Consider web camera with partner.
A few kids are energized to go to the same part of the house to tell the same story with the same audience. Most are not. Though they were drawn to the art form, no one really prepared them for the repetitive tasks necessary to be wonderful artists. Change the place. Change the audience. The story may not be as flexible to change due to an upcoming performance, though there could still be "permission" to explore the story beyond the regular way of telling it. Kids want to be extraordinary, so help them still feel that excitement during practice.
3. Kids love sharing their storytelling with their schools as well as for parents. Approach teachers of this desire.
Of all the different aspects of storytelling--from finding the story to cultural research to outlines to practicing--the part that kids most look forward to is performing for others. They often view telling for their classmates as an honor and a chance to be good at something. Some kids are blessed with speed to run. Some kids are blessed with brains to get perfect report cards. Then there are the kids blessed with voice and intuition to be tellers. You may want to remind teachers and principals that storytelling could be as much a part of talent shows as singing and dancing.
Game of the Month:
Weeping Angels, Story Version
Inspired by game created by Brenna and Rhys--5th graders--and Doctor Who episode (see history)
Audience: youth to adults
Level: intermediate
Items Needed: Indoor area with light switch (could adapt without light switch), masking tape
Number of Players: 3-10
Roles: Teller and everyone else as Weeping Angels
Ave. Playing Time: 5 min. to however long you want to play
One-Liner: resembles "Red Light, Green Light" as teller shares an improvisational story while the others race to reach teller first whenever there are too many pauses in the story or words such as "like" or "you know" voiced
Instructions:
Many places could be a location for this game such as a long hallway or even a stairwell, though you may want at least an area of 30' by 5'. One person will be the Teller and be positioned at one far end--ideally next to a light switch--while the Weeping Angels will be at the opposite end. If using a stairwell, the Teller would be at the bottom.
As for the Weeping Angels, their faces would cover their hands and be lined up at about equal distance from the Teller. The Weeping Angels could still see out of the sides of their faces but not straight ahead. The Weeping Angels will need to listen carefully rather than rely on visual cues that the Teller is struggling to find words to share the story.
About two feet away from the Teller's position needs to be a small line made with masking tape no more than a foot long.
Someone besides the Teller shouts out a moment of time to base the story for the Teller. Start with "Tell a time when when. . ." For example, a person might say, "Tell a time when aliens invaded earth until they realized that they conquered the wrong planet" or "Tell a time when someone ate a bug" or "Tell a time when Greek gods and goddesses decided they did not want to rule earth anymore."
The phrase would be enough for the Teller to develop a story. Since the story would be improvisation, the Teller will pause at times to think of the next part of the story. The story must continue until one of the Weeping Angels reaches the Teller.
Whenever the Weeping Angels hear the Teller pause at least three seconds or say agreed upon words such as "like", "you know", and "uh", they can advance towards the Teller. As soon as the pause is over or immediately after the "forbidden" words are spoken, the Weeping Angels must stay as still as statues.
Though the Teller faces the Weeping Angels the whole time and can thus see them advance, if the Teller notices that a Weeping Angel does not stop when they should, then the Teller makes a loud buzzing noise. This stops the game as the Teller calls out which Weeping Angel was caught and must go backwards five steps.
In some ways, this gives the Teller a "break" to think of ideas for the story. As soon as the Teller restarts the story from the moment the Teller left off, the pause and "forbidden" word rules apply.
When any Weeping Angel advances to the masking tape line, the Teller switches the light on and off rapidly. This gives that Weeping Angel the moment to uncover their hands from their face and show their fangs and claws.
At this point, the Teller knows they have one line of the story left. If the Teller comes up with a sensible ending in one sentence, the Teller wins. If the Teller pauses too long for an ending or cannot come up with an ending in one sentence, then the Weeping Angel wins.
Repeat for as many rounds as desired. The longer the play area, then the longer the stories shared by the Teller.
History of the Game:
When mentioning the Doctor Who television series, Brenna explained the "Weeping Angels" game that she and her classmate, Rhys, created. The episode "Blink" introduces these terrifying angel statues that can move as fast as lightning when no one looks at them. A simple "blink" could mean being grabbed by their claws and traveling to the past to never see your family or friends again. The "Weeping Angels" game did not start as a storytelling game, though I sensed potential. I asked permission to adapt it into a storytelling game. You never know what game will inspire another game.
If you enjoyed this e-newsletter, then please spread the word with
others.
|
Welcome
