Auditions
An open letter from Children's Productions Chair Stazya Richman
We
are starting to plan for the next installment of The Understory at
Woodland Theater and I am currently looking for ~8 storytellers to join
us on stage. When: Friday, April 14th, 2023 from 6:30 pm to ~8:15 pm Theme: Whoops! Stories of misadventures, miscalculations, and times when life did not go according to plan. Background for those who are new: Woodland
Theater is hosting a semi-regular series loosely based on The Moth
(we're calling ours The Understory) right here in Kettle Falls. We have
already hosted four successful events with 8-10 storytellers each. Here are the basic rules: •
The story must be true and it must be personal to the storyteller. You
are allowed to change names and places, as long as the overall content
is factual and you were a main player in the story. •
You must tell the story with minimal props, notes, or accompaniment.
This is the most flexible rule, and if you have an idea, just ask! • The story must relate to the theme of the event. Note: We are looking for variety! •
Stories are capped at 8 minutes (we give bells beginning at one minute
left, 30 seconds, and then we ring gently but insistently until the
storyteller concludes). You do not need to fill the entire 8 minutes-
sometimes the most powerful stories are the most succinct. •
The point of The Understory is to celebrate the full range of the human
experience. The story must be inclusive and respectful- this isn't an
opportunity for proselytizing, political discourse, nor ungraciously
characterizing or stereotyping people that are different from you. We
recommend that interested storytellers listen to a few episodes of The
Moth podcast to get a feel for the spirit of the event. Please
let me know if you are interested and available to share a story at
this event, and I can share additional details. I am also happy to meet
by phone or in person, if you would like to discuss your storyline or
any questions. What
to expect: If you are ready to commit to a story, you will be asked to
provide a brief sense of the topic and storyline you are considering as
early as practicable. We use this information to help craft some of the
outreach materials about the event. Many storytellers write their
"script" a few weeks in advance of the show, and then commit it to
memory. The process of preparation is your own, but I will make myself
available to help you practice on request! We also ask that each
storyteller perform a dry run about 2 weeks before the event, either by
video conference or on stage. Thank
you for considering! If you have suggestions for other recruits, please
forward or let me know. If you have a question, please ask and I'll be
happy to clarify! Best, Allison |