Have you ever been to a spoken word or performance art event where there was no jurying and appeared to be no criteria for what constituted an acceptable presentation?  Like an open mic where anyone can have their five minutes of fame or the event formerly known as 7-Up where anyone can volunteer to take the spotlight and present what they are interested in.  They can be pretty exciting!  You never know what to expect and you can make some amazing discoveries.

On the other hand, it’s possible to sit through some pretty painful performances so a measure of control seems to make the audience’s experience smoother.

There’s a philosophical difference in these two approaches that seems to divide spoken word into two camps.  I’ve recently had an email discussion with Traci Moore, the editor of Monsoon Voices, the Live Literary Magazine.  Her method is to have people submit their stories just as they would with a print or online magazine.  She edits just as an editor would and that give her some assurance that the end product – the performance – will be up her standards.  As she says, “the selections we make are based on the quality of the writing/music and whether the content fits with our guidelines/mission.”

I was on the other side of the debate (well not entirely because we do have a theme and a rehearsal for Odyssey Storytelling.) My idea is to get as many diverse people on stage as possible and let the audience possibly suffer through a not-very-good story in exchange for hearing some spectacular ones. At the very least, they are learning about other peoples life experiences that may be very different than their own.

It always amazes me that when I do my informal poll at the end of a show on “which story and storyteller did you like the best / didn’t like at all”, I get a different answer from everyone.  The ones I thought were questionable always have a defender – someone who the story touched.   The ones I thought were clever and well done always have their detractors.  That’s what keeps it interesting to me.  I can never predict the impact of the event.

Do you like to be surprised or do you like to know that there will be a predictable level of skill and talent?

The circumstances were less than ideal.  The outdoor courtyard where Glenda Bonin was to tell her story at the grand opening of the UA Poetry Center had no mic nor stage.  She gamely climbed on top of a large rock in her long skirt and silver concho belt and mesmerized her audience with a tale of early settlers in the west.

Glenda was introduced to storytelling many years ago when her children where young and she volunteered to tell stories at her local library.  She had learned magic and was working part-time as a clown but didn’t consider it a serious career so she took a “real job”.  After she was downsized and was helping her ill father she had the opportunity to review her life and asked herself the question, “when was I the most happy in my life?”  The answer turned out to be when she was telling stories.

She immersed herself in learning the craft by attending workshops and festivals and read everything she could get her hands on.  She began by offering her services for free in order to get experience and to build a customer base and after two years she felt confident that she was ready to turn pro.  She still will do an occasional benefit for a worthy cause but now she’s able to support herself with her art.

Glenda specializes in stories for kids and families although she loves working with special populations such as college classes, special needs folks and seniors.  In addition to plying her trade in Tucson and Phoenix her work takes her all over the country.  She travels  to rural areas in an RV, sometimes for month long residencies.  She also offers workshops and digital storytelling; visit her website, Story Works Group to learn more.

Some of the stories that Glenda tells are original and some are re-creations of traditional stories with her personal stamp on them.  She puts a lot of time into learning and rehearsing them both with a tape recorder and with her peer group of other storytellers. She’s working on a book collection of the stories that she tells.

Glenda is also deep into a research project that revolves around her grandmother, a fascinating woman named Vera Martin.  She is creating a Chautauqua, a performance where one takes on the persona of another person and tells the story from their point of view. Some of you might remember Hal Holbrook becoming Mark Twain on stage, that’s a Chautauqua.

When I asked her the hardest part of the life of a professional storyteller she answered, “not making enough to put money into savings,” a common dilemma of creative self-employed people who are practicing their art.

Who says there’s nothing to do in Tucson in the summer?  Coming up on July 30 you’ll have to decide between two fabulous events, Ignite Tucson and Odyssey Storytelling.

Ignite Tucson, the event that David Aguirre of Dinnerware Artspace started a year ago will be at the Screening Room, 127 E. Congress, and down the street at the Club Congress, 311 E. Congress, you can catch Odyssey Storytelling (disclaimer, I’m the producer).  Both events start at 7 p.m. with doors opening at 6:30.  Don’t forget, parking is free on the street after 5 p.m.

IGNITE Tucson

Around 15 people will grace the stage in front of a projected Powerpoint presentation of 20 images, each on the screen for 15 seconds.  The speaker has five minutes to talk about a topic they are passionate about.

You’ll see Karen Falkenstrom, Kathleen Williamson, Joanna Frueh, Janet K. Miller, Jodi Netzer, Shipherd Reed, Danielle from Tucson Life Cache, and more.  There is a $5 donation at the door for everyone, including the presenters.

This is the 4th IGNITE, and, according to David, “all of them have been really, really fun, informative, a great way to get your message out, and a good way to network. IGNITE Tucson shows us creative and innovative projects and talent happening in Tucson.”

Odyssey Storytelling

Six invited storytellers have ten minutes to tell their personal stories on the theme ILLEGAL.  The stories are not read or memorized, they are told from the life experiences and creativity of the teller.

This month’s storytellers are writer, Tom Clark; author, Juliana Piccillo; fundraiser, Edna Meza Aguirre; private investigator, Lorna Soroko; retired warden, Duane Vild; and No More Death’s activist, Jim Marx.  Tickets are $7 at the door or can be purchased online at the Odyssey website.

Odyssey Storytelling has been entertaining and edifying audiences for over 5 years.  Because the storytellers are uncensored and from diverse communities the stories may be fun, amazing, messy, enlightening, disturbing, and entertaining . . . and more.