Word Wrestling: Narrative Production vs. Storytelling

I labeled "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" as a "narrative production" since August 2008 and it seemed like a hands-down win.

Then today Elizabeth Ellis, national storyteller and one of my Storytelling Masters professors at East Tennessee State University, asked, "Why?" in an email.

I called her in order to have help in this wrestle with words. None of my other storytelling friends had asked, "Why?"

Ellis was genuinely interested as to my reasons for "narrative production".

I found it hard to respond as she asked me questions so I could come up with my own answer.

Yet, this was the time to answer it because I was about to order postcards and posters. The wording could be changed, if necessary. "Narrative production" was used throughout the Internet, but the Internet could be easily edited for whatever term I chose to use.

Ellis continued, "I find it strange that so many people use the term 'storytelling' when those who call themselves 'storyteller' are afraid to use it." She felt not enough of us "raise the banner" in using the word "storytelling".

She was right. Filmmakers, authors, musicians, speakers, and many other performing artists use the word "storytelling" freely.

Guilt. More guilt.

Anyone who knows me is aware that I am a storytelling advocate. Of my "Voice--A Storyteller's Lifestyle" blog, Tim Ereneta proclaimed, "It's clear from her regular and varied postings that she is passionate not only about storytelling but about the storytelling movement."

Then my college education came to mind.

Since I studied Communications Marketing at Brigham Young University, I knew that if a certain word or phrase evoked images or formed connotations that did not match my message, then it was best to use another word or phrase that did meet my goal.

Usually when "storytelling" is mentioned, people think about an old lady reading a story to preschoolers.

I am not an old lady. . .yet. (I am only 29.)

I do not read when on stage. I read books for research.

This program has a minimum age of 8 yet geared to 12-year-olds+ due to the themes of child abuse, abandonment, and adoption. Hmmm.

Then I looked at what I currently labeled the event: a world premiere narrative production to be recorded live.

I wanted a more sophisticated sound, but did I go too far?

I called David Novak, another national storyteller and professor at ETSU.

He seemed to think that I could be more creative in how I expressed the program. He thought I might even invent a new word or phrase that could become my trademark.

I was glad for his confidence in me, though now I felt the pressure to be a genius.

He agreed that to reach teenagers and college students, perhaps a different label was needed than "storytelling".

As I brainstormed other phrases, I went on Facebook and instant messaged people who were online for opinions.

A lot of my cousins were online including Greg Wallendal. He directs plays at a high school and was more aware of the terms that may fit with what I had in mind.

Greg granted permission to share part of our conversation--

Rachel: I wanted advice on wording. . ."narrative production" versus "storytelling" or "story"-something.

Greg: Hmmm.

Rachel: It's geared for 12-year-olds and older. No one under 8 is admitted.

Greg: Give me the full sentence as it stands right now.

Rachel: World premiere narrative production to be recorded live

Greg: Are you moving around for your story telling or are you standing behind a podium?

Rachel: No podium. Never podium for storytelling. I have a guest guitarist and a guest singer. Storytelling is the main stage art.

Greg: Are you moving around creating different characters with body language, gesture, voice, etc.?

Rachel: Other arts blend with the storytelling. Telling in 3rd person though with dialogue with characters. I am all of them.

Greg: I'm leaning heavily toward "storytelling production". Do you have fancy lighting or special visuals going on with this, or anything? A set?

Rachel: I told another storytelling professor "storytelling production", and he thought I could be more clever. That's pressure! I do have technicians and I had planned on minor lighting like making it more blue when the boy is starving in the middle of winter for the Ojibwa tale. No sets though. Lights will be up on the audience slightly so there can be a little interaction.

Greg: Maybe add some tease to the title. Kind of a "Don't miss this event" tone to it.

Several ideas were tossed around, but what meant the most was when Greg said, "I'm here for you."

Eventually I thought of "a world premiere storytelling feast for the senses".

Besides positive feedback to my new phrase, I kept the following in mind for my decision:

• BYU Storytelling Club has been active since 1998
• Storytelling was held every Monday night at the BYU Museum of Art for over 8 years
• Timpanogos Storytelling Conference was co-hosted by Theatre and Media Arts Department on campus as part of the Theatre and Community Stories Initiative 2007-2008
• Proximity to Timpanogos Storytelling Festival in Orem, UT that can reach attendance of 20,000 to 28,000 people--about 10 minute drive from Provo, which is the location of my premiere
• Performing Arts Concert Series at BYU had a professional storyteller that sold out
• KBYU combined efforts with PBS to create a TV special/DVD of "The Call of Story"

Other areas of the nation may not be as familiar with "storytelling" and what it all entails, but, for Utah, it was a word worth keeping.

Though the winners vary depending on the event and the intended audience, in this word wrestling round "storytelling" won.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

Trek (3 of 7): Finding Filmmakers for Storytelling

The most beautiful storytelling DVD is "The Call of Story" created by KBYU/BYU Broadcasting and PBS.

This is three of seven posts relating to my info-gathering trek to BYU on October 21, 2008.

Since KBYU's home is in the Harris Fine Arts Center at Brigham Young University, I headed to the office to find out who was still around from that 2002 project (though copyright would suggest 2005).

I did have a name given to me from the 2008 Timpanogos Storytelling Festival. The young man behind the desk scrunched his face at the mention of the name for it was unfamiliar.

The man said, "Perhaps you were given the wrong spelling." He thumbed through the massive Rolodex of all the employees, staff, producers, and directors. No results. He even called the head director of KBYU and the name did not ring a bell even at that point.

Rather than sticking to the name I was given, the young man at the desk suggested we look at the credits for "The Call of Story".

I felt like I had to bang my head with my hand at that point. "Of course," I told myself, "Why didn't I think of that?"

Before heading to this info-gathering trek at BYU, I did peruse "The Call of Story" website. With all the research, I did not look at the credits. I had too much confidence in the name I was given at the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival.

Though the young man did not have a copy of the DVD on hand, he did search for the credits online and found them.

At that point, I was told to get in touch with the Executive Directors: Thomas J. Lefler and Sterling Van Wagenen.

This was not the first time I heard the name "Thomas J. Lefler". Other professors I had met during my trek had said he was a Theatre and Media Arts professor and may be interested in my project. No one had mentioned his connection--a major connection at that--to "The Call of Story".

The young man at the desk gave me Lefler's office and contact information. I crossed my fingers, hoping that an unannounced visit would be successful and welcomed by Lefler.

I found his door and I knocked. No answer. Perhaps he was not in his office after all. Yet, something told me to linger in the hallways a bit. I walked down towards the bulletin board with the "Call to Actors, Producers, etc." I never majored in Theatre so I was curious. After ruffling through a few announcements hung on binder-type rings, I returned to Lefler's office.

This time someone answered.

My muscles were more tense than usual as someone earlier had told me how intimidating Lefler was because of how direct he was in his speech. After a deep breath, I entered.

I outstretched my now sweating hand. "Hello. I am Rachel Hedman, professional storyteller, and I would like to talk about "The Call to Story" project you did and how it may relate to my project."

After the introduction, I felt at ease. He was not the intimidating man that I imagined though he was kind to share information I needed to know. He told me he did not do those type of filming project anymore, but he did give me names and direct lines to the partners of Kaleidoscope Pictures.

One of Kaleidoscope's projects included filming national storyteller Donald Davis in spring 2009 on how families tell stories. Most of the shots would take place at Davis' home on Ocracoke Island, North Carolina.

Eventually, I learned that Lefler was first cousins to national storyteller Elizabeth Ellis. My jaw dropped as I told him that Ellis was also my professor at East Tennessee State University for my Storytelling Masters and that my "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" project came to life because of the assignment she put forth for us students.

At that point there was no fear whatsoever of the man as he proceeded to go online and show the place in Tennessee that he grew up alongside Elizabeth Ellis.

Besides this amazing experience, another professor gave me a name, office address, and email for the producer and director of the LDS Motion Picture Studio. This professor was the Content Director of the "Real Families, Real Answers" reality show.

Between Kaleidoscope Pictures and the LDS Motion Picture Studio, that is where the true intimidation lies. To even consider the possibility of being filmed by either one of them is almost unthinkable.

I have found in this world that it does not hurt to ask.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Former Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance (2005-2008)

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

Storytelling within KBYU TV & Family Reality Show

I was not surprised when I read, "BYU is home to the nation's largest collection of family scholars" in the Deseret News article BYU is launching family reality show on September 23, 2008 written by Tad Walch.

This "Real Families, Real Answers" show is another reason amongst many others that persuaded me to premiere the "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" on the BYU campus.

See a shout-out for families needed for the show--


At the same time, KBYU Television is working on a major production focused on family history, which is much like a sequel to "The Call of Story" that they did in partnership with PBS.

An excerpt from "The Call of Story" with Syd Lieberman--


With the support for both families and storytelling, a narrative production seems perfect in Utah.

As university faculty will be involved with the reality show, then these are the people who could encourage their students to attend and even list my piece as part of the syllabi. These would also be the kind of people I could approach about a workshop preceding the event about family archetypes in folklore and what that means to us today.

By next week I plan to have a visit to the BYU campus, meet some of these professors, visit the KBYU station, and check out booking prices for theatres. Finding the people to contact is only a phone call away.

The George S. and Dolores Dore' Eccles Foundation funded "The Call of Story" project so a visit with them is also in order.

Until we tell again,

Rachel Hedman

Professional Storyteller

Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance

Tel: (801) 870-5799
Email: info@rachelhedman.com

URL: http://www.rachelhedman.com

How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com

Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com
Other places to find me: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Professional Storyteller

Listing and Building Allies around Campus

Every so often I think back to my professors at Brigham Young University where I majored in Communications Marketing with a Business Minor. I chose this combination because it was the closest to storytelling. My decision to being a professional storyteller was decided before I setup my dorm room.

From 1997 to 2001, I had professors who supported the idea that storytelling made the most powerful marketing and advertising campaigns. Most of my research papers were allowed to have the art of storytelling as the focus, which included my Honors thesis entitled "Transformation of the Storyteller's Identity and Role through the American Storytelling Movement". Announcements could be made in class about the BYU Storytelling Club activities. Thanks to how I sometimes used other voices such as a witch to make the announcements, even best-selling author Brandon Mull with his Fablehaven series remembered them when I saw him seven or more years later during a writing conference.

Is it any surprise that I would remember my professors for the "Family Famine: Hunger for Love" narrative production? Normally, being only a little more than an hour from BYU, I would stop in-person to make my requests. With the Fall Semester starting August 27th, I felt urgency was in order.

I went to the BYU website, discovered the telephone number for the Department of Communications and checked to see which of my professors were still around the campus. I left some voice mails though was able to speak directly to one of them.

"Remember how there was a class where we helped local businesses with a marketing campaign?" I asked. "Well, I am a professional storyteller and a small business owner--even if by small I mean one person."

"Oh, that would be Communications 330." my professor responded. "I'm not teaching that class this semester, but these are the ones who are. . .." He continued that professors of the Public Relations emphasis would be good to pursue, too.

I received telephone numbers and emails. My next step is to put a one-page proposal of what I would like done for my project. There is no guarantee that my project would be chosen by the professor let alone by the class. Yet I find only positive possibilities.

Besides the Department of Communications, there are several areas at BYU that would be a boon to my work.

For example, the college television station KBYU is the same one that partnered with PBS to create the high-quality "The Call of Story" DVD. As I want my premiere to be recorded--with at least three cameras for angles--then this seems the most likely group to do it for me.

Since my topic is on the family, then approaching the College of Family, Home and Social Sciences makes sense. The performance is not until the Winter Semester so there is time to have professors add attendance to the event as part of their syllabi. With the use of multicultural tales, I can go to the College of Humanities and have support from the Humanities and the Folklore professors.

Not to mention the BYU Storytelling Club still exists since I founded it in 1997 and their support would be tremendous.

My list of allies grows and I am anxious to hear back from all of them.

Until we tell again,
Rachel Hedman
Professional Storyteller
Co-Chair of Youth, Educators, and Storytellers Alliance
(801) 870-5799
info@rachelhedman.com
http://www.rachelhedman.com
How-To Blog: http://storytellingadventures.blogspot.com
Performance Blog: http://familyfamine.blogspot.com