PROGRAMS - StoriesLive!
Once a school has registered, StoriesLive! has three Workshop options to meet the needs of individual schools. Each successive option, as described below, delves deeper into the craft of story telling. All options, however, will provide students with an assembly experience that includes professional story performances, an interactive workshop describing story structure and presentation techniques, and a unique opportunity to share their stories based on a common theme.
Option One
Workshop/ Performance: 50-80 minutes
20-45 minutes of personal stories told by multi-generational, professional storytellers followed by a 20-40 minute workshop designed to improve storytelling skills in an assembly setting. The mini-workshop will cover: finding stories in our life experience; accessing memories through sensory prompts and vocal exercises; and crafting a story using basic story structure. Students will be invited to share 2 minute stories in partners and then volunteers may share out, or perform, for the general audience.
Option Two
Workshop/ Performance: 50-80 minutes
Option Two will include all the elements of Option One, as listed above, and a Professional Development Workshop for Teachers, as described below.
Professional Development Workshop for Teachers
The Professional Development Workshop will give teachers the ability to teach and coach storytelling. Email: norah@massmouth.com for a complete outline and/or request a phone consult.
Option Three
Workshop/ Performance: 40 minutes
Option Three will include all of the elements of Option Two, as described above, and also incorporate an in-class Residency Workshop.
Option Three: Special Pilot Program – StoriesLive® Experience – All of the above Assembly, PDW, 8 contacts in “residence” includes registration, instructional materials, blog and weekly live conference call and all materials and supported by MassHumanities grant. A $2500 dollar value. A few Pilot Program openings are available.
Residency Workshop: Professional story tellers will visit the classroom and coach students in performance skills during the Residency Workshop. Residency Workshops will be tailored to the needs of each class and participating school and will be flexible in duration and number. Each Residency Workshop will cover the following lessons:
A. Finding Stories: Students will learn how to access memories to craft stories through the use of sensory prompts; why stories are essential and how we all need and use story. These skills will be taught using ice breaker games, introductions, and age appropriate story finding exercises.
B. Structure: Students will learn the basic structure of a story and be able to answer the following five questions with respect to their story: Who, What, Where, When, and Why. Students will work with the 3 basic “moving” parts of a story, the Beginning, Middle and End and understand the importance of a "point of change" or "conflict" in each story. Utilizing their newfound skills, students will choose one story to hone into a 5 minute performance using interviews and story games as exercises.
C. Tools: Students will learn how to compose a story and determine why that story is important to them. Students will learn how to use voice, facial expressions, movement Improv, as well as theater games to bring life to their story before an audience.
D. Meaning and Performance: Students will learn how to put their stories in context in their lives and develop a purpose for telling their story to others. Students will also be coached in performance skills and specific exercises to enhance rehearsals prior to performing their story before an audience.
Each Residency Workshop will culminate in a classroom or school-wide story slam where students will have the opportunity to use all of the skills learned throughout the Residency to share their story with others.
StoriesLive! is the creation of Norah Dooley and Andrea Lovett, two seasoned storyteller/ educators and performers. You can learn more about them in their bios, below.
Bio: Norah Dooley is a storyteller, critically acclaimed children’ s author and educator and co-founder of massmouth, a story slam series she co-founded in Greater Boston in 2009 with Andrea Lovett. Norah’s widely acclaimed picture book series about her former neighborhood in Cambridge, MA, includes the title Everybody Cooks Rice along with three other children’s books. She has published 6 storytelling CDs. Norah has a Masters Degree in Education and has been teaching storytelling and performing in schools, libraries and at teacher’s conferences for the past 18 years. She has performed as a featured storyteller in the Christmas and Spring Revels in Cambridge and Boston MA, the Cambridge River Festival, Newport Folk Festival, Albany NY River Festival, 3 Apples Storytelling Festival, MA and at the Clearwater Festival, NY.
Scott Alarik of The Boston Globe commented, "Norah Dooley is an entrancing storyteller.” You can learn more at www.norahdooley.com
Bio: Andrea Lovett has been weaving the magic of stories and storytelling professionally for over 18 years. She has performed across the country and internationally, most recently at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. She tells hundreds of stories and some have been captured on three CD recordings. She has numerous articles published on storytelling, and she has an award winning oral history program entitled “Dog Tags”, which connects students with local veterans. She co-founded massmouth, an award winning storytelling organization based in Massachusetts, with Norah Dooley in 2009. (www.massmouth.com) Andrea has presented dozens of workshops for teachers, children, and teens, and most recently with Norah Dooley at Lesley University’s Literacy Conference, 2007. Both Lovett and Dooley believe that storytelling is the missing link in literacy. More at: http://andrealovett.blogspot.com/
Other storytellers and educators on our roster are:
Tony Toledo
Judith Black
Dan Dahari
Katie Liesner
Lani Peterson
Ben Cunningham
Karen Given
Torena Webb
HR Britton
Robin Maxfield
Esther Piszczek
Nicolette Heavey
