Retelling Beowulf on Video
Over ten years ago I started writing a storytelling script based on “Beowulf”. At the time I had no idea where it would lead me or how it would change me as a storyteller. Well paths are meant to walk down and I’ve beaten this one to death.
A few years back I recording the first part of Beowulf Retold for my CD, Tales of Ancient Warriors. I did some different things on that CD by adding some sound effects to help enliven the presentation. The CD sounds great and has had moderate success.
Starting about 5 years ago I began performing the first part of my Beowulf Retold
( Beowulf vs Grendel) Script at local high schools. Again it was well received and quite affective. The feedback I got from teachers was very encouraging. In fact every where I have taken this program it has been well received.
My goal from the very beginning has been to bring Beowulf to life for modern day audiences, young and old alike. That meant I needed to make it understandable and accessible to my audience and yet still retain some of the sound and feeling that a English translation brings to it. I poured over it again and again. I threw away at least a dozen or more efforts in dealing with the opening scene. It eventually became obvious to me that I had to approach the work from a different angle if I was to succeed in the fashion that I desired. So then I deviated from the usual storytelling contrivances.
I had to find a new door.
I battled with myself on how to present the story and how much needed to be presented and of course how the material should be brought together. I tried dozens of approaches. Finally I realized that the beginning of the story did not elaborate enough in regards to the early attacks on Hrothgar’s Hall and needed to be expanded. This way the audience would grasp the depth of the horror of the king’s situation and realize the horror of the monster itself. I needed to bring Grendel alive. Then one day it all fell into place with a phrase, “It dwelt in the darkness.” Then like dominoes lined up on a path they all came tumbling down after the first one was pushed. Weeks later I had a working script but it needed refinement and so week after week I came back to it and whittled it down.
Still after the 1st part was done I needed to know. Will it work? This text was so word specific in order to achieve the sound that I wanted I was forced into a corner I had not previously considered. To capture the feeling that I had created in my script I had to deliver it pretty much as I wrote it. So I did something I haven’t done since I began performing. I memorized it or at least most of it.
Thus I started bringing the program to High Schools and the program has been very well received.
So my next question was how do I bring a program like this to audience (high schools) who can’t afford to haul me across country, especially for such a selective limited audience program.
My wife who runs the computer lab at her elementary school had the answer. Put it on film, stream it because that is where schools are going today
So about 8 months ago I started the process of putting Beowulf Retold on film. It has been a grueling process but also a very educational one. Until we are done I really won’t know if I will be able to afford to stream the final product. I am recording the entire program which is one hour long. So I will start by selling the DVD’s from my website and work my way up. The story behind the filming of Beowulf Retold is another story all to itself.
At the 2011 TSA Festival in Denton I was given the opportunity to open the first Fringe stage ever with my Beowulf Retold Program ( Part 1 only),and many thanks to David Thompson for inviting me to do so. I go at Beowulf full steam ahead and with a vengeance. I am passionate about this program and the audience ate it up. In fact they were caught flat footed by my presentation. They really liked it.
That is my goal.
If I can make adults and teen agers like Beowulf and find it interesting then imagine what other doors we could open to storytelling venues.
Thus I push forward, to open doors.
Gary Whitaker aka the Storyman
05/16/2011
