Reinventing Myself

Reinventing Myself

 

  I have come to realize that my world of storytelling has changed and not just the world itself but my world in general. In the early years it was all about directing my programs toward schools and so was my website and everything that I did. I design my presentations around schools and my stories around the grade level needs. Now I realize that I have steered away from the schools for a number of reasons.

One: getting into schools to do my kind of programs became a real pain because the display items that I use are all pretty much prohibited these days.

Two; and more importantly I prefer using my vacation time for vacation and not working schools. I will be 60 years old this December and just a few years from retirement. My wife and I love to travel but if I am giving up my vacation days as I did for about 7 years then I can’t do that. So I a wanna travel

Three: and most important, I wanna move on.

   So now in the very near future I am going to redesign my website. My design will be a reflection of the kind of gigs that I would like to do. I am still waiting on some other programs to be completed but I would imagine that will happen early next year. In fact I have already started working on it. I will redesign my website with the help of my webmaster Walter Hardeman in the direction that would appeal to Festivals, theater and the general public.

     I am also looking at how to take my kind of storytelling down a different road and I am talking to my good friend David Thompson in Austin about how that kind of thing could be achieved. Plus I plan to also talk with DeeCee Cornish about this topic. Last year when I was invited by DeeCee to perform at the Storytfest which is held at the Pantagleize theater in downtown Fort Worth, we spoke about this subject with intent of getting together to talk more. I think now that that time has come.

By the way let me advertise the Storyfest which will be held Dec 2 and 3,  2011 at the Pantagleize theater again this year.Check out the Pantagleize website for more info. http://www.pantatheater.org/

   In fact the Pantagleize is the type of theater I would like to get into with my storytelling ideas. It is the perfect small very cozy theater perfect for storytelling presentations of specialized design such as epic storytelling.

  That is my other subject and concern. Storytelling is a very personal contact sport. It was never meant for the large crowds like the storytelling festivals though they do manage to pull it off that doesn’t mean that is how it should be done. Storytelling should be performed in small audiences and in close quarters. A storyteller performs best when he or she is able to make contact with their audience, eye to eye contact. The storyteller shouldn’t be  5 feet up and 20 feet a way from the closest audience members not to mention those that are 50 feet away in back.  I am going on a mission of trying to sell my storytelling to small theaters or small groups. Which to be honest is what I have done most of my storytelling life. I am going to try to get David to join me because we have similar taste and view points.

  I understand how the big festivals came about and I even understand the need for them and they are great places for tellers to rub shoulders and talk shop but in my opinion they are sterile operations devoid of what storytellers need and what the audience needs. They need to hear our voices and they need to see our faces.

  So somehow someway in 2012 I will start down that road of trying to change how storytelling is viewed and presented. One other thing and this is more important than all else when it comes to storytelling. Storytelling isn’t just for little kids. I have spent the last 12 years designing programs geared toward middle schools and up. You would be amazed at how effective powerful dramatic storytelling is at reaching kids these ages.

  So I must take a step back in order to go forward. Storytelling in the hands of a master teller is an awesome experience. For both the teller and the audience. If you wanna see what I am talking about then please leave comments at the bottom of this blog. I am hoping that I am not alone out here.

Sincerely

Gary Whitaker 11/14/11