Off the Page: Turning Writing into Performance
April 28-29, 7:00-8:30 pm
InsideOut Gallery, 229 Garland St., Traverse City.
You write because you love words, but what happens when you bring those stories in person to an audience? Do your words have the same verve, color, elegance, even passion they had on the page? How do you bridge the gap between writing and live performance?
In other words: How do you bring your stories to life?
Here:Say Storytelling and Michigan Writers are joining forces to help you and other creators of stories in any genre—fiction, nonfiction, memoir, poetry, etc.—to take your writing “off the page.” In a special workshop spanning two evenings, we’ll focus on the fundamentals of spoken-word performance and learn some basic how-to’s, such as:
- Selecting the best passage(s) to share, and shaping them to say out loud;
- Preparing for your performance;
- Engaging an audience; and,
- Balancing preparation with spontaneity.
We won’t confine ourselves to theory, either. On the second day of the workshop, we’ll encourage each other to bring a sample of our work onto our stage. We’ll practice not only how to perform but how to “debrief” after performances, to figure what works for us and to discover our own strengths.
Our aim is to create a positive, supportive and productive environment that will encourage you to grow your “off the page” into another medium. Whether you intend to grow as a live reader, as a presenter or as a storyteller, you’ll want to be a part of these special evenings.
This workshop will be led by:
- Lesley Tye, instructor at Interlochen Arts Academy and co-founder of Mash-Up Rock n’ Roll Musical Troupe;
- Karen Stein, founder and creative director of Here:Say Storytelling; and,
- Daniel Stewart, president of Michigan Writers.
