A couple of weeks ago, I spent a very intense Saturday afternoon. It was just before Thanksgiving, and I went to see The Blind Side and Precious at my favorite little movie house here in Raleigh. Both of these movies were fantastic movies. These are some of the best performances I have seen this year, if not ever. In fact, if I were to make a choice from all the movies I have seen this year so far, The Blind Side would most likely be my pick for Best Movie of the Year, and I would give it one of those little golden statuettes which they give out every year. There was something important about both of these movies, though. Both of these movies were based on books, and the books are real stories. These books are the recounting of the events from the experience of the teller.
About the same time, I discovered the existence of a venue in New York where there is a regular celebration of personal stories. Known as The Moth, it is a place where people share their stories, without scripts or props. The tellers are chosen by the organizers/managers, and are asked to keep the stories to a certain length and often are solicited around a certain topic. From time to time, notable persons are invited to tell stories, as part of a focused topic. You, playful follower, can get CD’s and podcasts of these events from their website. For many of you who are lucky enough to live in a city where your local stations air The Moth Radio Hour, you can hear these stories broadcast to your very own ears. Should you think such a program would not be entertaining, let me assure you of the contrary.
You see, in my experience of improvisational theater and through my practice of InterPlay, I have experienced the power of the personal story first-hand. We have several forms of story-telling…side-by-side stories, big-body stories, DT3′s (a mixture of dance and story)…which involve the use of ideas proposed by individuals or an audience-at-large. They can be allowed to run any length, or limited to a certain number of minutes, often three minutes. I have been both a listener, and a teller. Never have I been disappointed by a story, and what never ceases to amaze me is how powerful personal stories are. So I encourage you, playful follower, to take advantage of a personal story every chance you get. Get someone to share a story with you, or share your story with them – or do both. Personal stories are a way to a deeper appreciation of life all around.
