For Better Said Than Done’s first storytelling show of 2019, we decided to stretch a little – not only in subject matter, but also in style. Normally, all Better Said Than Done shows feature true, personal stories – what many refer to as personal narratives. And as much as this style of storytelling is all the rage these days, it is not the only style of storytelling. In fact, “traditional” storytelling tends more towards folk tales, tall tales, and stories of history.
I got to hear some amazing examples of this “other” (some might say original) kind of storytelling when I went to Jonesborough, TN last October – to perform on the Exchange Place stage – and to absorb performances by the best storytellers in the country at the National Storytelling Festival. It was a blast. And lucky for me, I got to make plans to hang out more with some of the amazing storytellers who were featured – like Ms. Sheila Arnold!
When Sheila and I decided to do a show together, we thought it would be fun to mix styles – the personal narrative style Better Said Than Done audiences are familiar with, and the traditional style Sheila often performs herself. The resulting show was Peace & Justice.
You can watch videos of all the stories in this playlist. However, I might suggest the following two videos as an example of one true, personal story by Jessica Robinson on the the theme of Peace, and one (sort of) traditional story on the theme of Justice by Ms. Sheila Arnold.
We were lucky to have Nick Baskerville host the show. He was the bread to our P&J.
What I love about Sheila Arnold…Oh man, I just realized that would take too long. (She really is amazing!) What I loved about Sheila’s performance in Peace & Justice was how she transitioned from a personal narrative story about her relationship with her mom – a story that made me cry; to a story about grits (sort of); to a story about a ruler with orange hair, no sense of style, and a need to surround himself with sycophants, without missing a beat. Each story was its own, perfect performance and could’ve fit in a million other shows – though also fit beautifully in this one. And boy did she make me want some grits!
And I had so much fun. Not only working with Sheila – and watching her close up – but also getting to perform some sad, some poignant and some, hopefully, funny stories for a terrific audience at Jammin’ Java, in Vienna, VA.
I did mention I picked up a few storyteller friends at Jonesborough, right? Well, we got another show coming up that’s going to be a bit of a stretch, in a wonderful way. Join Jessica Robinson on March 9th, 2019, alongside nationally renowned, funny, and devilishly attractive storytellers Anne Rutherford and Norm Brecke for tru-ish tales of mis-adventure.
We’re back at The Auld Shebeen for this one – nestled in the City of Fairfax, VA. Tickets for the March 9th show, as well as the February 23rd show, and information on all our upcoming storytelling shows here.
Keep up to date with Ms. Sheila Arnold here.
Check out Nick Baskerville’s blog about storytelling in the DMV here.
