We had our second Going Deep Storytelling Festival from April 10-13 at the Storytellers' Riverhouse in Bethlehem, Indiana. What a nourishing experience!
The first night, Olga Loya regaled us with the incredible Aztec Creation Myth. We wallowed in the names of unfamiliar gods and goddesses, in their several aspects and moods. We wailed with the Hungry Goddess, we joined the parade in the middle of the story, we held our breaths as a little man danced on a god's palm, we laughed and sighed and enjoyed ourselves completely. Here's a picture of Olga next to the altar she created in the performance space:
Afterwards we ate crepes and sipped wine and talked, before going off to dream of the images.
In the morning, our workshop was rich in reflection and discussion of the story, of Olga's research, of how our own stories inform our lives and vice versa.
As promised, the afternoon was free for massages, palm reading, and a special participatory dance/art activity.
That second evening, I (Priscilla) told Queen Berta and King Pippin, an almost unknown Medieval French story of stolen identity, treachery, and big feet (the original story is entitled Berte aus grans pies, literally "big foot Bertha," but as I explained to the audience, if I'd called it that, they would have expected a farce instead of a delicate story of nobility--in Medieval times, it was a sign of being high-born to have large feet). The story must have struck a chord in the listeners, because the discussion afterwards and in the morning workshop was intense.
The third evening, Megan Wells entranced us with Helen's Troy, the story of the Trojan War from Helen's point of view. We sat with fair Helen in the tent on the shore, worried with her about her beauty, joined her in rash acts and sage decisions, and understood her better than we ever had before.
That night, we dreamed of all the images in all the stories, and after breakfast came back for the last wonderful workshop with Megan, a combination of discussion about the story and its sources as well as of story structure and process.
We feasted at the rich banquet of long traditional stories and returned home sated--at least for a while. Stay tuned for information on the Going Deep Storytelling Festival 2009!
Monday, April 21, 2008
Going Deep 2008
Going Deep reviews
I'm going to post my own thoughts on Going Deep: The Long Traditional Story Festival. In the meantime, I highly recommend reading Hope Baugh's reviews. I've linked here to the overview. Don't miss her three following posts about each evening. I love reading Hope's reviews, because she lets her whole self shine through, without letting the posts be self-indulgent.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Get ready! April 10 is less than a month away!
We've still got openings for this year's Going Deep Festival, and here's more good news: we've extended the Early Bird price! $550 will get you lodging and food for three days, three long story concerts, three intense workshops about the stories--we'll even get you a ride from the Louisville airport if you need it!
Contact Cynthia Changaris at cchangaris@aol.com to register. Questions? We're ready for them!
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
There's still time for early-bird registration prices!
Just in case you forgot, here's the whole scoop, including the all-important Feb. 15, the last date for getting a price break on the festival. Feel free to pass this info along!
Unusual festival brings epic tales to light
Going Deep: The Long Traditional Story Festival to be held in
Festival co-founder Priscilla Howe says, “We discovered that we’re really hosting a retreat. We have stories in the evening, workshops in the morning, and the afternoon is free for massage, palm readings, walks, naps and art activities. It’s a funny combination of intense listening and relaxation. We eat together, talk story, laugh, sing and have an incredibly invigorating experience.”
This year’s performers will be Megan Wells, telling Helen’s Troy, Olga Loya telling the Aztec Creation Myth, and Priscilla Howe telling Queen Berta and King Pippin. Performances begin at
Going Deep is held at the Storyteller’s Riverhouse Bed and Breakfast in
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
What's this all about, anyway?
Once upon a time, a few storytellers–-Liz Warren, Olga Loya and Priscilla Howe–-were sitting around talking (as we do) about stories. Not just any stories, but long traditional stories. We were hungry for a rich feast of stories. Most storytelling festivals require short stories, only occasionally stretching beyond the 20-minute mark.
We began imagining a festival where each evening we listened to a long traditional story, then we had wine and cheese or tea and cake, then we dreamed about the story, and then in the morning we had a workshop about the story from the night before. We’d play and rest in the afternoon, then do it all over again.
Where and how could we do this? We puzzled over the idea for a few years until the day that somebody recommended the Storyteller’s Riverhouse in Bethlehem, Indiana and Scheherezade’s Legacy, the storytelling partnership of Cynthia Changaris and Mary Hamilton. Bingo! That was the place!
We had our first Going Deep Festival in March 2006. It began with Liz Warren’s performance of The Grail. The next night we heard Olga Loya’s version of the Aztec Creation Myth. The last night was Priscilla Howe’s telling of Tristan and Iseult.
Cynthia and Mary were wonderful midwives of that first festival. We were nourished both literally and metaphorically. The group of participants (fewer than 25, including cooks, massage therapists and the palm reader) were enthusiastic about the whole endeavor.
Our plan? To do it again and again and again, building our repertoires and our roster of performers. We definitely plan to go back to the Storyteller’s Riverhouse, and we also are interested in traveling the festival around the world.
