Currently Offered Workshop

In the Voice of Our Ancestors is a 12-session online course about researching and preparing a historical figure for public presentation. In this workshop participants are led through a series exercises and experiences which help create a living portrayal of an historical figure. The Chautauqua style of storytelling is also called first person historical narrative. It is a way of telling stories from a person’s life as they might tell them themselves. As much as possible we use the persons own words to shape the stories. This style of storytelling combines the arts of acting, improvisation, characterization, creative writing, historical research, and then stepping into role.

Creating an historically plausible framework is essential to the effectiveness of the telling. The depth of understanding of that ancestor’s life and times allows a sense of authenticity to the presentations. Understanding the era in which the person lived helps the teller to keep the person’s voice alive and bring the conflicts and pressures of the past into clear focus in the present.

This style of storytelling is more portrayal than impersonation or reenactment. One does not need to have a physical resemblance to the person so much as to bring their stories, ideas, and essence to the listeners.  The direct impact of first-person narration is very effective in connecting the past to the present. Many of the lessons that teachers may struggle to get across from a textbook will leap off the page and help  to clarity conflicts, passion, intrigue, struggles, complex problems and hard fought solutions through  first person historical narrative.

Available Upon Request

Workshops & Interactive Experiences

• Performing Arts for the Classroom

• Create A Story Workshop

• OTR Old Time Radio

• African American Stories, Games and Songs and Dances

• Growing up in the 1920’s: African American Expressive Art

Children and Family Workshops

• African American Heritage in Stories, Games, Songs and Dances
  A joyful hour of play, storytelling, chants, and cultural exploration rooted in African American traditions.

• Growing up in the 1920’s: African American Expressive Art
  Discover the resilience and creativity of African American communities through dances, games, and stories from the 1920s.