Friday, April 23 – Intensives
Sessions A & B – 8:45-4:30pm (with break for lunch)
AB1 – Build Your Fringe Show
It’s time to stop talking about what the Fringe is and get down to building a “kick
ass” show. This “hands on” process will take you from idea through the elements of both the back of house production (budget, scheduling, graphics, marketing, props/sets/costumes) and on stage dynamics of a 55-minute storytelling biased show suitable for Fringe Festival performance. Limited to 10 participants who should identify which Fringe Festivals they intend to participate in prior to the intensive.
For: Storytellers at any level of experience
Presenter: Loren Niemi, Minnesota
Loren Niemi is a long-time storyteller and Fringe performer of solo, duo and ensemble shows. He is the author of “The Book of Plots” and co-author with Elizabeth Ellis of “Inviting the Wolf In: Thinking About Difficult Stories.” niemistory@aol.com
Session A – 8:45-11:45am
A2 – “I Know I’m Good. You Need to Know Too. Now Hire Me!”
This is a fast-paced, interactive workshop where you will get practical (and even offbeat) ideas and tools for getting the jobs that suit your goals. The workshop is broken into four segments: affirming yourself, assessing yourself as a performer, looking into your future, and brainstorming ideas to meet your future goals. In addition, I’ll share what I believe is a key element that should drive all of your marketing efforts.
For: All levels beyond beginner (all artists interested in promotion)
Presenter: Linda Gorham, Illinois
Linda Gorham inspires her audiences by using movement, humor, and sometimes zaniness as she tells imaginative multicultural folktales updated “with attitude.” For more than 20 years, whether performing for adults or children, Linda’s energy is contagious and her stories memorable. www.lindagorham.com
A3 – Storytelling 1, 2, 3
Engage in an innovative and energetic approach to story creation and presentation! Unthink traditional approaches! Using “battle tested” techniques, games, partner and solo work, create & tell a NEW story in 3 easy steps! Also experience an approach to coaching that nurtures the teller by providing focused listening and observant, supportive suggestions. While not for the timid, this approach works for reluctant 13 year-olds; surely it can work for you! Handouts will be provided.
For: beginner to intermediate storytellers, educators
Presenter: Greg Weiss, Illinois
Greg Weiss considers teaching storytelling a subversive act in a time when standardized assessment and political correctness are hailed as worthy goals. He does his best to undermine the flock mentality and to nurture individual thought and creative thinking. He has done this as a teller, writer and teacher for over 20 years. gjweiss@earthlink.net
Session B – 1:30-4:30pm
B2 – Crack Me Up! – Fracturing Fairy Tales
Bring a sense of humor, a mischievous streak and a fairy tale to play with. Twist the plot. Plug in some anachronisms and liberal quantities of wordplay. Then, with a straight face, give it voice. We identify specific stories that lend themselves to fracturing and learn some tricks to turn a familiar story on its ear.
For: beginner, intermediate, advanced storytellers, librarians, educators
Presenter: Megan Hicks, Virginia
Megan Hicks delights audiences of all ages with her repertoire of folktales, fairytales (intact and fractured), history and personal narrative. Her audiobooks have won popular and critical acclaim, including AudioBooksToday.com’s “Best of the Best” list, an Audie nomination, and three national awards. www.meganhicks.com
B3 – Old Wine in New Bottles: finding and developing old lost stories for new repertoires
Tired of searching your library’s 398.2 shelf for the zillionth time for new ideas? Research libraries are not off-limits! New electronic databases of old stories appear every week! We’ll explore how to use special indices, search engines and special libraries to find unique variants of stories supporting particular themes, then see to bring stories to life off the page. This is for storytellers, teachers and librarians looking for new material for performances or workshops.
For: This is for intermediate and advanced storytellers: professional tellers working as performers, and also teachers and librarians who tell stories and others who are looking for new material
Presenter: Patrick Ryan, London
Ryan Patrick Ryan, PhD., storyteller/research fellow at George Ewart Evans Storytelling Centre, performs and leads projects across Britain, Ireland and Europe. He’s involved with storytelling at Globe Theatre, with professional soccer clubs, and in numerous innovative schools, prisons and museum residencies. Publications include Shakespeare’s Storybook, articles and BBC documentaries. pryan@glam.ac.uk