Connecting through Storytelling

Saturday, November 27, 2010 Goto comments Leave a comment Blog Children's Storytelling, storytelling

What’s special about a Storyteller?

Today I was on a course for Storyteller Improvers and the often debated question of what’s the difference between acting and storytelling came up. There was a storyteller in the group who had been an actor and was struggling to be authentic as a storyteller and put down his acting hat.

Storyteller’s are themselves

One of the main aspects that differentiates a storyteller from an actor is that they are themselves on stage. They are not “in character” at least not all the time and in that way the art of storytelling differs from the art of acting.

Improvised storytelling

An actor will take on a role, explore that role, learn a script and perform that script. They may or may not have room for improvisation in their rehearsal processes, but generally there is very little improvisation in repeated shows. For Storytellers we are always working in the realm of improvisation. We tell our stories and we change them depending on the audience, this keeps the story alive and relevant to each specific audience. We may find ways to tell that are fixed, but we do not learn the lines of a script – rather we learn the path of the story and take our audience down it with us.

The audience

At the heart of storytelling is the audience, the story takes place in their mind’s eye. The storytellers are the custodians of the tale, helping to bring it into the imaginations of the people who have come to hear them. Therefore it is imperative that the teller connects with the audience and creates a bond, so that they can help that person travel into their personal creativity.

Connecting

I would say this is one of the things that makes Storytelling so magical and so beloved as an art form. Children especially love to hear a story told just for them, it is about giving them your undivided attention, which is unfortunately, in today’s distraction filled world, a rare commodity. It is a fundamental human need, which all too often is neglected – the need to connect to others.

Give a Story

And what better way to connect with people, than to share a story or two? Whether you’re a grandmother reminiscing. A parent putting their children to bed. A friend entertaining a good pal down the pub. A teacher passing on an important lesson. Or a storyteller keeping the oral tradition alive, remember the key to good storytelling is the audience and the quality of the experience for them.