Assignment: Read "Lillian" by David Cale. The first monologue play in the book, Talk To Me.
News: The World of Storytelling is expected to be in by Wednesday. Please have a copy with you for class on Friday.
Today we met in the Belk Theatre to watch Gwenda LedBetter perform a section of her show, Friday's Father.
Consider that a generation of theatre artists embarked on a "hero's journey" into the world of storytelling and are making their return to the stage with the boon of their experience. Gwenda's work may be an example of this returning.
Comments following the performance:
Caitlin noted that the storyteller enjoys the prerogative of commenting on the story, introducing a personal reaction, etc. in short, being herself. As opposed to the actor bound in an impersonation.
Chip suggested the idea of the "actor's contract" and asked what the "storyteller's contract" might be.
What are the unspoken agreements between teller and listener and how might they be different from the expectation of actors?
The discussion raises concerns about the role of the actor similar to those explored by Bertolt Brecht in the 1930's and formulated by him as a style he named "epic". Note that Brecht was greatly influenced by the work of Meyerhold (biomechanics) and was doing his pioneering work in Germany at the same time that Decroux was developing his "corporeal mime" in France.
Links for more: Brecht's Epic Actor, Meyerhold's Biomechanics, Decroux's Corporeal Mime.
Also, an interesting sampling of Decroux's work on film.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Aspects of Stories
We talked in class about the possibility of common traits of story telling. One that seemed to show itself in the documentary and in my observations of other people telling stories is that each one seems to have a point. I know it seems a little obvious, but it seems to be beautiful in its simplicity. Each story at some point, usually the end carries some sort of moral, or punch line that the rest of the story was leading up to. Granted that all the stories that we have encountered so far have a western origin and it seems that, like western music, western storytelling is more concerned with becoming rather than being. Another common denominator seems to be that the stories we have heard have a direct emotional connection with the audience. That is to say that a story must appeal to the audiences emotion on some level, thus establishing a connection between the story teller and the audience. Thirdly, the stories appear to be didactic in some way or another, each one speaks to some quality or moral that people can relate to. Even the story of the bees emphasize cleverness, the "what killed the dog story" displays some value as to attachment to material things. These are the only common denominators I can see for now. Any thoughts?
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Day 5
We met Gewnda LedBetter and discussed with her the storytelling revival and her path into becoming Asheville's "Story Lady" for the local "Mr. Bill Show" and Pack Library.
I shared an interview with Laura Simms from the book The Storytellers Journey: an American Revival, by Joseph Daniel Sobol. In the interview, Laura explains her epiphany about storytelling and describes the separation from her theatre group, La Mama Experimental Theatre Club in 1960's.
I made comparison to Plato's allegory of the cave dwellers in which one member leaves the cave and discovers a new, real, world outside. Ironically both the new storytellers and the new actors were pursing similar goals of making new connections between audience and performer and bringing new vitality to the theatre. We viewed sections of a documentary about The Open Theatre, founded by director, Joseph Chaiken. Chaiken was greatly influenced by mythographer Joseph Campbell, especially his masterwork The Masks of God. Again, in Campbell's work, we find common ground with the new storytellers.
Vis-a-vis the experimental theatre movement, Joseph Chaiken came from the Living Theatre, founded in 1947, arguably America's oldest experimental theatre group. Theatre revivalism began much earlier. Following Stanislavski's revolutionary theatre work with Anton Chekov and The Moscow Arts Theatre, Vesvolod Meyerhold pushes for even more radical rethinking of theatre forms. Meanwhile, in the 1920s in Paris, Etienne Decroux, a socialist theatre artist, began to rebuild the theatre in his own way. Decroux created a form of actor-centered theatre that he called “Dramatic Corporal Mime.” His students included Jean-Louis Barrault, Jacques LeCoq, and Marcel Marceau. Marceau, more than the others, brought this art form to prominence in America and the world. Yet Decroux was not interested in the kind of pantomime we saw commercialized in America in imitation of Marceau. He wanted a radical stripping down of theatre to its essence: the actor in action. In 1931, he articulated a formula for the rehabilitation of theatre, the first three points of which were:
1. For a period of thirty years, prohibit all arts other than the actor’s. Substitute for the set of the play the set of the theatre, the backdrop of all imaginable actions.
2. During the first ten years, eliminate all elevation from the stage such as benches, stairs, terraces, balconies, etc. Actors shall suggest the ideas of “above” and “below,” although one partner may be beside the other. Then allow elevations only on the condition that they create greater challenges for the actor.
3. During the first twenty years, prohibit all voiced sound. After twenty years, allow unarticulated cries for five years. Finally, during the last five years allow words contrived by the actor [italics added] (Angotti and Herr, 1974).
I shared an interview with Laura Simms from the book The Storytellers Journey: an American Revival, by Joseph Daniel Sobol. In the interview, Laura explains her epiphany about storytelling and describes the separation from her theatre group, La Mama Experimental Theatre Club in 1960's.
I made comparison to Plato's allegory of the cave dwellers in which one member leaves the cave and discovers a new, real, world outside. Ironically both the new storytellers and the new actors were pursing similar goals of making new connections between audience and performer and bringing new vitality to the theatre. We viewed sections of a documentary about The Open Theatre, founded by director, Joseph Chaiken. Chaiken was greatly influenced by mythographer Joseph Campbell, especially his masterwork The Masks of God. Again, in Campbell's work, we find common ground with the new storytellers.
Vis-a-vis the experimental theatre movement, Joseph Chaiken came from the Living Theatre, founded in 1947, arguably America's oldest experimental theatre group. Theatre revivalism began much earlier. Following Stanislavski's revolutionary theatre work with Anton Chekov and The Moscow Arts Theatre, Vesvolod Meyerhold pushes for even more radical rethinking of theatre forms. Meanwhile, in the 1920s in Paris, Etienne Decroux, a socialist theatre artist, began to rebuild the theatre in his own way. Decroux created a form of actor-centered theatre that he called “Dramatic Corporal Mime.” His students included Jean-Louis Barrault, Jacques LeCoq, and Marcel Marceau. Marceau, more than the others, brought this art form to prominence in America and the world. Yet Decroux was not interested in the kind of pantomime we saw commercialized in America in imitation of Marceau. He wanted a radical stripping down of theatre to its essence: the actor in action. In 1931, he articulated a formula for the rehabilitation of theatre, the first three points of which were:
1. For a period of thirty years, prohibit all arts other than the actor’s. Substitute for the set of the play the set of the theatre, the backdrop of all imaginable actions.
2. During the first ten years, eliminate all elevation from the stage such as benches, stairs, terraces, balconies, etc. Actors shall suggest the ideas of “above” and “below,” although one partner may be beside the other. Then allow elevations only on the condition that they create greater challenges for the actor.
3. During the first twenty years, prohibit all voiced sound. After twenty years, allow unarticulated cries for five years. Finally, during the last five years allow words contrived by the actor [italics added] (Angotti and Herr, 1974).
Monday, Jan 22
Please come to the Belk theatre for class this Monday. Gwenda LedBetter will be performing act one of Friday's Father a solo storytelling play.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Day 4
Absent: Drew
We viewed the last half of our documentary and began to discuss some of the defining characteristics of the storytelling revival: the accommodation of children in the audience, the reciprocity between performer and listener, informality of presentation, etc.
ASSIGNMENT
in the comments to this post continue the discussion. Post at least 5 defining qualities of storytelling performance as viewed through the National Storytelling Festival.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Story Tally
Thanks to Chip, Alina, Drew, Cassie, and Carly for the story tally assignments.
Drew's list brings up the concept of "gists". Roger Schank refers to memory as involving the storage and retrieval of "story gists". We reduce an experience or a piece of information into a compressed form, similar to a file-compression program for the computer such as .zip or stuffit. That gist is retrieved and expanded when we make an association. For example, if I mentioned that my dog loved swimming and would jump in the water at the first opportunity, you might begin to associate any number of your gists with various ideas in my statement: dogs, water, pets, passion, etc...
Notice how, in your daily interactions with stories, one story will prompt another. Notice also, how we will discover lost memories in the act of conversation, essentially making active our dormant gists.
The concept of gists and of memory compression and retrieval has implications for performance. Firstly, many storytellers insist that they do not memorize their stories. Instead, they "learn" them. That is to say, they reduce the story to a gist that can be expanded in the act of telling in much the same way you might expand upon a memory in conversation. Secondly, in performance, the use of a literary or cultural allusion relies on the ability to activate the listeners' gists. If I say, "when I walked into the principal's office, I had a David-and-Goliath moment," I am activating your memory of the story of David and conflating it with my story.
Drew's list brings up the concept of "gists". Roger Schank refers to memory as involving the storage and retrieval of "story gists". We reduce an experience or a piece of information into a compressed form, similar to a file-compression program for the computer such as .zip or stuffit. That gist is retrieved and expanded when we make an association. For example, if I mentioned that my dog loved swimming and would jump in the water at the first opportunity, you might begin to associate any number of your gists with various ideas in my statement: dogs, water, pets, passion, etc...
Notice how, in your daily interactions with stories, one story will prompt another. Notice also, how we will discover lost memories in the act of conversation, essentially making active our dormant gists.
The concept of gists and of memory compression and retrieval has implications for performance. Firstly, many storytellers insist that they do not memorize their stories. Instead, they "learn" them. That is to say, they reduce the story to a gist that can be expanded in the act of telling in much the same way you might expand upon a memory in conversation. Secondly, in performance, the use of a literary or cultural allusion relies on the ability to activate the listeners' gists. If I say, "when I walked into the principal's office, I had a David-and-Goliath moment," I am activating your memory of the story of David and conflating it with my story.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Day 3
All Present
We continued viewing the documentary of the National Storytelling Festival 10th Anniversary.
We heard sample of Ray Hicks, Maggie Pierce, The Folktellers (Barbara Freeman and Connie Reagan-Blake), and Laura Simms.
We noticed the use of dialogue in the Folktellers performance of "No News, or, What killed The Dog". As a vaudeville routine the "story" dates back to turn-of-the-century entertainer, Nat M. Wills. The story has earlier variants (How the House Burned Down) that date back to the middle ages.
The point being that the storytelling revival has combined tent-meeting and rural "front porch" culture with stage forms. The national festival developed a showcase format to give audiences a "taste" of the various storytellers, using the term"olio" to describe the event. The term "olio" originally means "a miscellaneous mixture" ( Merrion-Webster online dictionary) in reference to food and comes to be applied to performance in the sense of "a miscellaneous collection (as of literary or musical selections)" coming from the minstrel show to vaudeville thence to storytelling.
We heard two "naive epiphany" narratives, one from Maggie Pierce and the other from Connie Reagan-Blake. The gist of such stories is: "I had no idea what this was until someone showed interest! then, surprise! I discovered I was a storyteller." The sense that storytelling as a vocation or avocation comes as a surprise reinforces the idea that it is somehow genuine, not contrived or intended, but fated.
We continued viewing the documentary of the National Storytelling Festival 10th Anniversary.
We heard sample of Ray Hicks, Maggie Pierce, The Folktellers (Barbara Freeman and Connie Reagan-Blake), and Laura Simms.
We noticed the use of dialogue in the Folktellers performance of "No News, or, What killed The Dog". As a vaudeville routine the "story" dates back to turn-of-the-century entertainer, Nat M. Wills. The story has earlier variants (How the House Burned Down) that date back to the middle ages.
The point being that the storytelling revival has combined tent-meeting and rural "front porch" culture with stage forms. The national festival developed a showcase format to give audiences a "taste" of the various storytellers, using the term"olio" to describe the event. The term "olio" originally means "a miscellaneous mixture" ( Merrion-Webster online dictionary) in reference to food and comes to be applied to performance in the sense of "a miscellaneous collection (as of literary or musical selections)" coming from the minstrel show to vaudeville thence to storytelling.
We heard two "naive epiphany" narratives, one from Maggie Pierce and the other from Connie Reagan-Blake. The gist of such stories is: "I had no idea what this was until someone showed interest! then, surprise! I discovered I was a storyteller." The sense that storytelling as a vocation or avocation comes as a surprise reinforces the idea that it is somehow genuine, not contrived or intended, but fated.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Day 2
Absent: Alyssa
We began with a brief discussion of stories we are finding in our daily lives. Places we encounter stories include emails. Suggestion that directions can be stories. An exercise I often give storytellers is to give directions. A storyteller must be concerned with keeping a listener oriented. While looking for stories, notice when stories are referenced in conversation. How often are commonly known stories alluded to? For example on Day 1, I alluded to 2001: A Space Odyssey when talking about our "smart" classroom.
We listened to Jerry Clower's coon hunting story and began to trace the establishment of the National Storytelling Festival in 1973 and its efect on the storytelling revival.
We watched the first part of a documentary from the 10th National Storytelling Festival.
Notice: the rural setting, the "tent revival" aesthetic, the retelling of common stories (3 Bears, Cinderella).
More here about Mary Carter Smith.
We began with a brief discussion of stories we are finding in our daily lives. Places we encounter stories include emails. Suggestion that directions can be stories. An exercise I often give storytellers is to give directions. A storyteller must be concerned with keeping a listener oriented. While looking for stories, notice when stories are referenced in conversation. How often are commonly known stories alluded to? For example on Day 1, I alluded to 2001: A Space Odyssey when talking about our "smart" classroom.
We listened to Jerry Clower's coon hunting story and began to trace the establishment of the National Storytelling Festival in 1973 and its efect on the storytelling revival.
We watched the first part of a documentary from the 10th National Storytelling Festival.
Notice: the rural setting, the "tent revival" aesthetic, the retelling of common stories (3 Bears, Cinderella).
More here about Mary Carter Smith.
Clower
This is the story that started it all. In 1972, Jimmy Neil Smith was driving with his students when Jerry Clower came on the radio telling about coon hunting. This brought about the idea of a storytelling festival in Jonesborough.
Jerry Clower "Coon Hunting"
Jerry Clower "Coon Hunting"
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Day 1
We discussed various interests some of you bring to this course. Notably,
Ash: folk storytelling, education.
Aleena (sp?): Audio books and literature. Questions of how changing formats influence content.
Chip: Education.
Caitlyn (sp?): Storytelling history in diverse cultures. We also discussed touching on narrative as a cognitive tool.
My rambling introduction of myself and our thesis condensed:
BFA: Directing, 1976, MFA: Acting, 1986.
A generation of theatre artists moved into storytelling even as some were moving into other forms of solo performance such as monolgue, performance art, and (for want of a better term) the one-actor-show.
We can trace a generational arc from the early solo actor works, biographically based, such as Mark Twain Tonight, Belle of Amherst, and Give Em Hell Harry, to other efforts of actors to reclaim the theatre for their own.
Mime era leads into popular arts of clowning, juggling, and circus, leading into "new vaudeville" which leads into spoken word.
We also discussed comedians as storytellers
Here is a youtube of one of the stories Bill Cosby told early in his career which had a big influence on me: Cosby tells about Go Karts
Compare this with Jerry Seinfeld's remarks while on Fresh Air: "The trouble with it is, you have this story — which is such a nuisance," Seinfeld says. "You know, in stand-up you just tell the funny part. But in a movie, the audience demands that you tell them some sort of story that makes sense. And this is a tremendous handicap for me." Hear the entire interview here.
Sienfeld interview with Dave Davies.
Admittedly, he is being funny. He does say that "when the story works, the jokes get better."
Some authors referenced in class today:
Kieran Egan "Teaching As Storytelling"
Roger Schank "Tell Me A Story: a new look at memory."
Assignment:
This week pick a day in your life and tally the styories you encounter. Identify where, when, and how you come across stories. Make some kind of a record or list and post it on this blog.
Ash: folk storytelling, education.
Aleena (sp?): Audio books and literature. Questions of how changing formats influence content.
Chip: Education.
Caitlyn (sp?): Storytelling history in diverse cultures. We also discussed touching on narrative as a cognitive tool.
My rambling introduction of myself and our thesis condensed:
BFA: Directing, 1976, MFA: Acting, 1986.
A generation of theatre artists moved into storytelling even as some were moving into other forms of solo performance such as monolgue, performance art, and (for want of a better term) the one-actor-show.
We can trace a generational arc from the early solo actor works, biographically based, such as Mark Twain Tonight, Belle of Amherst, and Give Em Hell Harry, to other efforts of actors to reclaim the theatre for their own.
Mime era leads into popular arts of clowning, juggling, and circus, leading into "new vaudeville" which leads into spoken word.
We also discussed comedians as storytellers
Here is a youtube of one of the stories Bill Cosby told early in his career which had a big influence on me: Cosby tells about Go Karts
Compare this with Jerry Seinfeld's remarks while on Fresh Air: "The trouble with it is, you have this story — which is such a nuisance," Seinfeld says. "You know, in stand-up you just tell the funny part. But in a movie, the audience demands that you tell them some sort of story that makes sense. And this is a tremendous handicap for me." Hear the entire interview here.
Sienfeld interview with Dave Davies.
Admittedly, he is being funny. He does say that "when the story works, the jokes get better."
Some authors referenced in class today:
Kieran Egan "Teaching As Storytelling"
Roger Schank "Tell Me A Story: a new look at memory."
Assignment:
This week pick a day in your life and tally the styories you encounter. Identify where, when, and how you come across stories. Make some kind of a record or list and post it on this blog.
Syllabus
DRAM 358: Topics in Dramatic Literature: Storytelling.
3 credit hours • January 14 - May 28, 2008 • MWF, 1:45-2:35 pm
Instructor: David Novak (adjunct)
E-Mail: novateller@aol.com
Office Hours: by appointment
Catalogue Description
358 Topics in Dramatic Literature, Theory, or History (3)
Close examination of selected playwrights, eras, genres, styles, theories, or themes in theatre.
Overall Objective
To identify the elements and influences of historical storytelling in dramatic literature, notably modern American solo performance.
Course Narrative
We will study and analyze storytelling as a performing art by surveying:
a. the history of storytelling traditions in a variety of cultures,
b. the contemporary storytelling revival in America,
c. the history of theatre in Western Civilization, and
d. contemporary trends in theatrical performance.
Finally, we will compare and contrast solo performance by actors with solo performance by storytellers.
Methods
Readings, lectures, discussions, A/V recordings, writing assignments, journaling (class blog), and essay tests.
Core Texts
The World of Storytelling by Anne Pellowski
Talk To Me: Monologue Plays edited by Eric Lane and Nina Shengold
Various A/V materials, live performances, and resources from the world wide web.
Assignments & Requirements
Students are expected to attend and participate fully in discussions and class activities.
Each student is expected to participate in a class Web Log of responses and thoughts on class work.
There will be two essay-based exams: Mid-Term and Final.
Other writing assignments will include response papers to readings and performances, and opinion papers addressing topic queries.
Note: as of this writing not all course materials have arrived. As a result, reading assignments cannot be determined.Attendance
Attendance is mandatory. Two absences are granted for the semester. Beyond that, a 2 point deduction will be taken from the final grade (for each additional absence). Class notes and assignments missed during absence(s) must be made up by the next class.
Grading Policy:
Attendance = 10%
Participation = 20% (in class and online)
Assignments = 20%
Mid-Term = 25%
Final = 25%
*Extra Credit may be available as opportunity permits.
Grading Scale:
99-100: A+
95-98: A
90-94: A-
88-89: B+
85-87: B
80-84: B-
78-79: C+
75-77: C
70-74: C-
60-69: D
<60: F
3 credit hours • January 14 - May 28, 2008 • MWF, 1:45-2:35 pm
Instructor: David Novak (adjunct)
E-Mail: novateller@aol.com
Office Hours: by appointment
Catalogue Description
358 Topics in Dramatic Literature, Theory, or History (3)
Close examination of selected playwrights, eras, genres, styles, theories, or themes in theatre.
Overall Objective
To identify the elements and influences of historical storytelling in dramatic literature, notably modern American solo performance.
Course Narrative
We will study and analyze storytelling as a performing art by surveying:
a. the history of storytelling traditions in a variety of cultures,
b. the contemporary storytelling revival in America,
c. the history of theatre in Western Civilization, and
d. contemporary trends in theatrical performance.
Finally, we will compare and contrast solo performance by actors with solo performance by storytellers.
Methods
Readings, lectures, discussions, A/V recordings, writing assignments, journaling (class blog), and essay tests.
Core Texts
The World of Storytelling by Anne Pellowski
Talk To Me: Monologue Plays edited by Eric Lane and Nina Shengold
Various A/V materials, live performances, and resources from the world wide web.
Assignments & Requirements
Students are expected to attend and participate fully in discussions and class activities.
Each student is expected to participate in a class Web Log of responses and thoughts on class work.
There will be two essay-based exams: Mid-Term and Final.
Other writing assignments will include response papers to readings and performances, and opinion papers addressing topic queries.
Note: as of this writing not all course materials have arrived. As a result, reading assignments cannot be determined.Attendance
Attendance is mandatory. Two absences are granted for the semester. Beyond that, a 2 point deduction will be taken from the final grade (for each additional absence). Class notes and assignments missed during absence(s) must be made up by the next class.
Grading Policy:
Attendance = 10%
Participation = 20% (in class and online)
Assignments = 20%
Mid-Term = 25%
Final = 25%
*Extra Credit may be available as opportunity permits.
Grading Scale:
99-100: A+
95-98: A
90-94: A-
88-89: B+
85-87: B
80-84: B-
78-79: C+
75-77: C
70-74: C-
60-69: D
<60: F
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