The difference between storytelling and drama is that the audience actually exists. The actor engages with the audience, can hear the audience, see the audience and speak to the audience.
And what a wonderful experience my first storytelling experience was!
Burd Ellen makes the mistake of going widdershins; Childe Rowland rescues her. We don’t have Childe Rowland to rescue us, so what’s the moral of the story? Don’t go widdershins around a church!
What an outdated story it sounds like, but Nell Phoenix made every moment come alive. Working with (or against) adults with huge inhibitions and children who did not know how to behave, she told the story with music, drama, dance and singing coming together in a delightful storytelling performance.
Hsss! went the hissing rocks.
Dhup! fell the heads that were cut off.
Haaaah! sighed the golden gate.
Murmurmurmurmur … went the teacher.
Khsphskhsphs … went the student.
All the energy of the performance is still coursing through my veins even two hours after the end of the show!
Leave a Reply