Karen Chace - Catch the Story Bug!: guest blogger

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Wednesday, June 24, 2015

A River of Stories

A River of Stories:

Stories Create A Link to the Past & A Brighter Future

By Brian “Fox” Ellis ©

“Please, I invite you to contemplate an entangled stream bank, clothed with many plants of many kinds, there are birds singing in the high branches, a multitude of insects flitting about, worms crawling through the damp earth, and this river cuts through layers of fossil plants and ancient sea beds… reflect with me on these elaborately constructed forms, all have been produced by the laws of nature acting around us…There is a grandeur in this view of life, Power breathed into a few forms or maybe just one, and while this planet has gone on cycling according to the fixed laws of gravity, From so simple a beginning, endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are still being evolved.” Charles Darwin

These are the last few sentences of Darwin’s most famous book, On the Origin of Species. Darwin is one of several historical scientists that I portray. This quote is a truly brilliant invitation to imagine your local river as a journey through the earth’s ancient story from the dawn of time, to the creation of life on this planet, continuing on through to this vary day and the life that inhabits your river this afternoon.

Let us continue this journey through time.

Who has lived along the shores of your river in the past several hundred or thousands of years? Stories allow us to travel through time and meet the folks of not so long ago, not so far away! What are the stories of your homeland? How can these stories help you feel a deeper sense of place? How can these stories of how things once were help us imagine how they might be yet again?

On the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers, where I work each summer as the Riverlorian, or resident historian, on the Spirit of Peoria riverboat:

We have 10,000 years of American Indian history.
Three hundred years ago we saw the first French Explorers.
The British chased out the French about 200 years ago.
And then the American Colonists flooded over the mountains to clear-cut the forests and plow up the prairies.
Industry grew, as did some of the largest cities in America from Chicago to St. Louis, Minneapolis to New Orleans.

Through all of this, the river was an important source of raw materials, drinking water, food and transportation. The river was, and still is, the source of life.

Take a moment and make a quick sketch of your local river. Turn this map into a time line and make note of the various layers of history, note both geological and human landmarks still visible today.

Several years ago I was commissioned by a local environmental education organization, The Sun Foundation, to create a stage show, that later became a fake-documentary. We used stories to not only help folks connect to the history of the river, but more importantly, we looked at the history of environmental problems in a way that inspired the audience to be proactive, to make a difference within their ecological community.

Because of my work for the Spirit of Peoria riverboat, I had already interviewed dozens of people who depend on the river for their livelihood, from tug boat captains to commercial fishermen, duck hunters to bird watchers. I turned these oral histories into comedy and then hired three storytellers to portray several characters each, adding another element of humor. In a fast-paced, TV newscast format, geared towards teens, each character told their story of their relationship to the river. They ended with concrete suggestions of things anyone could do to make a difference. Because one of my life-goals is to give voice to the wild world, I also included a poem about a whooping crane and a song from the point of view of a catfish!

The video later won awards and a grant that allowed me to give a free copy, with lesson plans, to every school in the Illinois River Valley.

I share this short story as an example of the power of storytelling to not only help folks feel more connected to a deeper sense of place, but also as an invitation for you to use storytelling to imagine a healthier future.

I invite you to:

Interview the folks who work and live along your local river;
Translate these stories into literature, performance material, poetry and song;
Share these stories in print, on-line, in video, or live performances;
And within these stories create an invitation for listeners to make a difference.

As I ask each of the people I interviewed: What are the ecological issues in your community? What is the history of the problem? What are some concrete, simple steps we can take that will help make a difference?

Because of this work with The Sun Foundation, students are not only planting trees, restoring prairies, and picking up trash, but a handful of more ambitious students are now raising endangered alligator snapping turtles in the classroom to release them into the wild. They have initiated a recycling program, P2D2, that collects prescription medicines, then incinerates them to create electricity, keeping the drugs out of our waterways. And other students are testing hundreds of tributaries each spring for Atrazine, a very harmful pesticide. Many of these students have shared their stories in a way that has motivated student groups around the country and around the world to replicate their efforts.

It all begins with a story.

As folks are immersed in the stories of their local history and ecology, the powerful sense of connection is palpable. Stories make the abstract ideas of science and history personal and intimate. Stories, like a river, can invite listeners to travel through time and help them imagine a better future.

VIDEOS

Over view of the video Voices for the River

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDvLByUGJM8

River Stories

http://www.foxtalesint.com/images/pdf/riverstories.pdf

Walter the Water Molecule

http://www.foxtalesint.com/images/pdf/walter.pdf

ORGANIZATIONS

Sun Foundation

http://sunfoundation.org/wordpress/

Spirit of Peoria

http://www.spiritofpeoria.com

P2D2

https://p2d2program.wordpress.com/about/history/

Operation Endangered Species
http://operationendangeredspecies.com

Brian "Fox" Ellis is an internationally acclaimed author, storyteller, historian, and naturalist. He has worked with The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, The Field Museum and dozens of other museums across the country. Fox has been a featured speaker at regional and international conferences including the International Wetlands Conservation Conference, National Science Teachers Association Conference and the North American Prairie Conservation Conference, et al.

Beyond the world of folklore, Fox also portrays more than a dozen historical characters ranging from Charles Darwin to Walt Whitman, Edgar Allan Poe to John James Audubon. Fox is the Artistic Director for Prairie Folklore Theatre, a unique theatre company that celebrates ecology and history through original musical theatre productions. He presents hundreds of school and library programs each year, but he especially enjoys teacher training workshops and family literacy nights in his ongoing efforts to encourage the next generation of storytellers. He is the author of 16 books including the critically acclaimed Learning From the Land: Teaching Ecology Through Stories and Activities, (Libraries Unlimited, 2011), the award winning children’s picture book The Web at Dragonfly Pond, (DAWN Publications, 2006) and Content Area Reading, Writing and Storytelling (Teacher Ideas Press 2010). Many of his stories are also available on one of 12 CDs. He and his wife manage a bed and breakfast in Bishop Hill, Illinois, The Twinflower Inn. For more information visit http://www.foxtalesint.com

All photos belong to Brian "Fox" Ellis.

Brian ‘Fox’ Ellis is a guest blogger for Karen Chace and Catch the Storybug blog. All rights to this article belong to Brian. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without his expressed, written permission. Of course, if you wish to link to the article via Facebook or Twitter, please feel free to do so.

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If you are interested in becoming a Guest Blogger email me at storybug@aol.com for details with “Guest Blogger Information” in the subject heading and be part of the rising tide!

PREVIOUS GUEST BLOGGERS

An Audience of One by Barry Stewart Mann
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/12/an-audience-of-one.html

Bridging Difference through Storytelling by Noa Baum
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/10/bridging-differences-through.html

Everything Old is New Again…by Mike Speller
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/09/flying-high-with-fringe.html

Fighting Demons with Compassion by Gaye Sutton
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/08/fighting-demons-with-compassion.html

Five Minute Creativity Boost by Monica Davis
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/08/send-your-senses-soaring.html

The Folly of Callow Youth Age by Judith Black
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/12/listening-to-sirens-call.html

Her Story, Your Story, Our Story: An Afternoon with Women Who Have Escaped the Troll by Regina Ress
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/07/escaping-troll.html

Jake’s Head by Gwen Bonilla
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/09/spinning-stories-into-gold.html

Pinocchio's Nose Grows by Linda Gorham
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/07/does-your-story-ring-true.html

Stories from Cave Art to Computer by Jerry Haigh
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/11/stories-from-cave-art-to-computer.html

Superlative Speakers Tell Superlatives Stories by Bill Lampton, Ph.D.
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/08/weaving-spell-with-stories.html

Sweeping the Air, Catching the Dust by Eileen De Lorenzo
http://karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/08/sweeping-air-catching-dust.html

Friday, June 5, 2015

Stories Tame the Drama Class

Lion Tamer
1873 Lithograph by Gibson and Company

Stories Tame the Drama Class
by Mary Garrett ©

Storytelling helped tame my “drama class from hell,” a difficult group, talkative and disruptive, for whom I had played “bad cop” to support my student teacher. When it was time for her to move on, they begged her to stay and not leave them with “that mean teacher,” but they didn’t get much sympathy from her. I wished that they would let me be the nice teacher I prefer to be, and I dreaded spending the last month of school with this horrible class. How could I discipline this group with no “bad cop” of my own to rely on?

I had been looking forward to doing the storytelling portion of this class, the one area in which I felt I had much to give them. The storytelling unit in my short stories class had been a high point; we had even invited a principal to join us. I had also used positive short stories to help my juniors face the dreaded (NCLB) MAP tests, starting a week in advance of the tests with stories about persevering through tough times, finding many at Story-Lovers. The stories helped create a better atmosphere with less tension, more confidence, and much less complaining.

The first aspect that made the drama class a bit happy was when I told them NOT to memorize the stories word-for-word. They had complained that memorizing drama scenes was too hard, and I knew they would be relieved.

I began each day’s work with one of my stories, as a model of storytelling and to show them my “nice” side. I started with very short tales, “The Smell of the Bread” and “The Lost Purse,” recruiting students to play the characters. Laughter and comments like “She faked you out” when the greedy person received his just due were refreshing light moments. Perhaps there was some hope for us.

They fussed a bit when I told them they would be reading silently and taking notes on at least five stories to choose the one to tell. “You’ll be able to talk once you have selected something to talk about,” settled them down.

As they read and took notes on the large selection of photocopied stories, all with a focus on positive character traits, I would pull out the occasional story that I thought might fit a particular student. “You have hidden talents like this beetle. You help others, as does ‘Tante Tina.’” I also suggested that they . . . silently . . . pass along any stories they thought would be good for a friend.

I knew that they needed a silent room to begin working and thinking. As they read and chose, I could see them getting interested and motivated, and the quiet students who hadn’t been able to do their best in a chaotic atmosphere were relaxing and focusing in the calmer room.

When they had selected the stories they wanted to tell, they storyboarded and summarized on a 3x5 card to get them away from word-for-word repetition of the story and focus on the essentials. Students enjoyed an opportunity to work with crayons and markers again. They were smiling and showing off their pictures by this time. Students laughed as they recognized themselves, or others, in "The Talking Skull" -- "Woe is me! Misery! What I said was true. It was my mouth that brought me here, my friend. Your mouth has brought you too!"

They then told their stories to a partner, chosen by me to keep the cliques from regrouping. They were told to begin with compliments, because we all need them, and then offer suggestions gently. This was low-stress enough that even the shy students were able to tell to just one person, and they were enjoying the stories. We then put together pairs to have groups of four. They had been doing so well with the project that they were allowed the privilege of choosing which pairs to combine.

I circulated in the room, encouraging, offering suggestions and making sure they were actually working. Several of those whose ©stories were coming along especially well had been the most disruptive earlier -- that talent and desire to perform does come bursting out. I invited them to share their in-progress stories with the class. The suggestions for improving already good stories were instructive to all, and the applause and compliments kept them from becoming “bored” and disruptive.

Several students declared that they were ready to perform, but the rest were not. The “ready” students became the team leaders or coaches of a larger group of eight, with the assignment to get all students ready to tell. We established rules for positive listening and talked about the importance of a good audience. "You are fighting because you only looked at my coat from your own point of view" (from "The Red and Blue Coat" -- Heather Forest). As we worked together on stories, we saw a bit more clearly from each other’s point of view.

When all were ready, they volunteered for their turns to tell. My most obstreperous young man told first, with pride and enthusiasm. He had the talent, and his telling of “The Black Prince” was wonderful. The real surprise was his behavior after his telling. He was an attentive and generous listener, encouraging and complimenting not only the students he had coached, but every student in the class. When the final teller, an extremely shy young woman, told her story, the whole class listened as avid fans of her effort, and though her nerves did show, she told the story clearly, and their applause was sincere.

This storytelling experience was so positive that we moved smoothly through the final days of school, and on the last day of finals I was able to tell them (with misty eyes) that I was proud of them and would miss them.

Mary Garrett is a guest blogger for Karen Chace. All rights to this article belong to Mary. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without her written permission. Of course, if you wish to link to the article via Facebook or Twitter, please feel free to do so. If you would like to be a Guest Blogger contact Karen at Storybug@aol.com for details.

Mary Garrett St. Peters, Missouri
http://www.storytellermary.com/
http://storytellermary.wordpress.com mgarrett@mail.win.org http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwd-z4Q4XwM
Frog & Friends and Courage and Wisdom CDs
http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/mary-garrett/id344525632
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/MaryGarrett

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Sunday, December 2, 2012

An Audience of One

Oh Sweet Vanity
by Ray Caesar

Back when I was an aspiring actor in New York City, fresh out of conservatory and performing in showcase productions in Off Off Broadway theatres, we had a rule -- understood if not articulated: cancel the performance if the actors outnumber the audience. I remember a particular production of Richard III when the cast of fifteen consistently put the policy to the test.

Whether or not we actually cancelled shows, the principle is clear: don’t squander your talents on less-than-ample audiences. Or, more pointedly: what if you put on a show and nobody comes? This primal fear also exists in the storyteller; many of us have had experiences, especially in public venues with fluid spaces, where the audience is mighty small.

These were the thoughts underlying my concerns in a small rural town a few summers ago. I was touring with stories to complement the Vacation Reading Program, and the Children’s Librarian for the Regional System had booked me into three libraries, not realizing that the third (and smallest) site was not generally open on the afternoon chosen. Still, she put the word out, and accompanied me there, opening it herself, as she had no staff there for the afternoon. It was a beautiful site, a new building along the tracks, modeled after the historic train station a few hundred yards off. There were high skylights, neat shelves of books, bright posters on the walls, rows of shiny computers. A very small, very rural library.

The presentation was set for 3 o’clock. When I realized the unusual circumstances, I wondered what we’d do if nobody came. As I set up my backdrop and laid out my props, the librarian talked about having lured children in from a nearby playground to a program earlier in the summer. But the swings and slide were empty on this particular sweltering afternoon. She mentioned a daycare center across the four-lane, but then explained that they have no van and are not allowed to walk across.

As 3:00 p.m. approached, I thought with a mix of discomfort and relief about not having to do the program: it would be awkward, but also would let me hit the road an hour earlier for the trek home. Then a woman and child walked in. It was a boy of about 8 -- the upper limit of the target age range for the show, which was, with quick pace, constant interaction, and colorful visuals, geared for the 4-5 year-old crowd. But he was somewhat interested. At first I thought -- “Do I do the show for an audience of one?” My old New York principles came to mind -- though, at this point, the cast no longer outnumbered the audience. But how could I adjust the program for a single 8-year-old boy?

The program included a songs, poems, and stories about insects (to the VRP theme “Catch the Reading Bug"). For sections, I would lead the whole audience in gestural repetition and call-and-response, and during the course of the 45 minutes I needed 16 volunteers, with a variety of props and costumes to be held, worn, or manipulated.

'Dustin’ (as I’ll call him here) seemed only mildly interested, didn’t know much about storytelling, and had a fairly short attention span. His mother sat in the other section, working on a computer. Dustin was antsy, and didn’t come with the assumption that as audience he should remain basically quiet and passive. I soon realized that my sense of my own role, as active presenter, needed adjustment. In fact, with an audience of one, I could engage him more directly, and change the program in any way I wanted. I soon understood that this was not standard storytelling, but something closer to ordinary conversation. I could indulge his responses and questions. I could adapt my language to his level, add some mild irony or humor, cut or shorten when I noticed his interest lagging, or challenge him to engage more deeply. When the program called for volunteers, I gave Dustin the chance to step up, or made instant adaptations. He put all the animals on the felt-board Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly; we tried each of the Eric Carle insect costumes on him before laying them on the floor to continue the story. While I felt strange about the changes, it all seemed very natural to Dustin.

At the outset, I expected the experience to be diminished, watered down, and nothing like real storytelling. Instead, I found that the one-on-one session pared the performance down to the essential element of storytelling: dialogue. It became a teaching experience -- in both directions, as I was taking constant cues from him about his interests, his modes of language and image processing, his comfort levels, his relationship with his mother, his psychology (he alluded several times, with a bit of frustration, to a fairly accomplished cousin who had skipped a grade and was now his grade level rival), and the strengths and weaknesses of the show. I was consciously guiding his attention, filling his vocabulary gaps, checking his comprehension, taking his creative suggestions, and more -- the types of engagement we use in classroom situations but not in large audiences.

I wonder: How rich it would be if we could treat a large audience as an aggregate of audiences of one! If we could remember that each child (of whatever age) has her own attention span, her own questions, his own body of references, his own phantom all-star cousin lurking in the psychological wings. If we could be sure to have a moment of connection with each audience of one, to offer through our stories something personal, something customized for each person out there. We can’t do it through actual conversation, we can’t let them each express real-time responses. But we can strive to remain mindful of the basic fact that storytelling is a conversation, and that we must balance speaking to a full audience with speaking to individuals within that audience.

Barry Stewart Mann is an Actor, Storyteller, Writer and Arts Educator based in Atlanta. He tells stories from many world traditions, as well as personal narratives from his travels to over 50 countries. Barry tours theatrical storytelling programs to schools, on such curriculum-based topics as the Cherokees and Greek Mythology, and spends his summers touring libraries with thematic literature-based programs. He was featured earlier this year at the Festival Internacional de Cuentacuentos in Santo Domingo, DR.

PREVIOUS GUEST BLOGGER ARTICLES

If you missed any of the other terrific Guest Blogger articles this link will take you to a separate blog post where all of the links are listed.
http://www.karenchace.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-rising-tideguest-bloggers-share-their.html

Barry Stewart Mann is a guest blogger for Karen Chace and Catch the Storybug blog. All rights to this article belong to Barry. Distribution, either electronically or on paper is prohibited without her expressed, written permission. Of course, if you wish to link to the article via Facebook or Twitter, please feel free to do so. I you would like to be a Guest Blogger contact Karen at Storybug@aol.comfor the details.