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1. Pick a favorite story. It can be familiar to your audience or not.
You will bring it to life. Take your transition from text to told story by
steps, if you can. Find children to listen to you (public libraries are
always looking for volunteers. Church Sunday schools and public schools are other places.)
Photocopy the text. Highlight the most important words, paragraphs. Cut sections to say verbatim, mark with brackets sections you can summarize in
your own words. Paste or staple to a bigger sheet of paper allowing wide margins. Leave space to write or add your own summaries, if possible. Plan
to hold your cheat sheets behind the book; hold the book up so children can see the pictures and you can read your cheat sheets.
2. Practice: Think of your voice as a musical instrument. Vary your
voice within the story, a bright cheery beginning for comedy, low and mysterious
for mystery. Vary your pace; use silence, with dramatic pauses. Slow down to prepare for big surprises. Enjoy every word the way a cellist indulges
the richness of every note. Exaggerate, at least in practice; as they say in clown theater, "Make it big." Exaggerating a rehearsal is a good way
to get over the jitters. What about dialogue? Separate voices for each
character? Gestures? Add these as you gain confidence. An air of conviction,
the feeling that the story is happening as you speak-- these are more
important than character voices. For voice ideas listen to cartoon shows
without looking at the picture. The first amateur mistake is a nasal, high pitched voice for a
comic character. For gestures, tell the story to just one person in
your own words. Alternately, tell it in a mirror without words.
Then make a selection from
your own gestures, mark these like music notations on a copy or outline of
your script.
3. Launching into your first told story, try cheater cards, index card size, to sit in your lap or place on a music stand. Make an outline,
including any tricky names. Make the writing simple enough and big enough to read at a glance. Practice with these. Ideally, they won't be used but
will give you a feeling of security.
4. Do some vocal warm-ups before your first performance. One fine actor I know runs in place for a minute, to get his energy level up. Or do
stretches. Make big faces-- big mouth, wrinkly nose, huge frowns, grotesque surprises. I use a toilet stall for this, to avoid shocking
others. On the other hand, their amazed looks could give you a chuckle and help you relax, too. If you have to sit in a chair for some time before
telling your story, use a clench/relax strategy. Grip the sides of your
chair; clench, hold for the count of five, relax. Stretch out your toes (your feet, too,
straight out at the knees if you can) hold, relax. Take a deep breath, lift your diaphragm, hold, relax. At least it gives you something else to
think about.
Taken
from, Telling Our Tales, written by Jeanette Ross,
and published by Skinner House Books, Boston, 1994.
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