In our age, a writer can fuse the archetypes of cultural myth into novel form and pawn them off as his/her own creation. Certainly, it is important to make a living, but as storytellers, we should remember that we are firstly, shaman, channeling the collective unconscious, infusing it with our own personal consciousness, and then transcribing this evanescent flux into word. Storytelling is a cultural art which can not be copyrighted, only embellished.

A performer can bring the emotional details to light by adjusting phrasings to highlight a feeling. A storyteller who has developed the craft is aware of the nuances expressed by vocal tones and pauses, as well as the formula of the sentence. Every element is equally important, and the subtleties are inexpressible literally. Mythic structures often come in groups of three, implying transcendence, or four implying the four directions and the elementals. A story�s sentence structure can mimic a story�s mythic structure. First this, then this, can be embellished with a mythic structure; first this, then this, and then this. Every story has its own individual structure and rhythm. Understanding the mythic structure of the story is a result of being possessed by the story, by believing the myth wholly, and cherishing it.

All of these structural and vocal elements have the power to express the ideas which are deeply seated in our psyches, and difficult to express through semantics alone. Brad Bowles, a storyteller, commented that storytelling is about a voice and a presence more than anything else. He continued by saying that the storyteller must be able to read the audience�s needs for the utmost impact. He/She must know when to extend a moment of suspense, even with filler, as long as it heightens the audience�s anticipation and thus, their experience.

A common role of storytelling is to enhance intercultural awareness. This is accomplished through a variety of ways. When I presented a storytelling at Douglas County High School it consisted of three ninety-minute storytellings from six different cultures. Between the different myths I would express similarities and differences between the stories as well as some values that are important to the specific culture from which each myth originated. Through this I was able to express some of the subtle and deep rooted beliefs within these cultures that make the myths important to them. I was able to express theories of archetype, or as the aborigines call it, "song lines."

Although discussing the values and beliefs of various cultures can be productive on a tangible level, analytics can often miss the point. Sometimes, the only way to understand cyclic perspectives of time, harmony with ancestral spirits, and peaceful interaction with the forces of nature is to shift your own ideology. For the storyteller, this could mean any number of various exercises and philosophical escapades, breaking down the contemporary values instilled in each of us, and replacing these with immortal visions, wisdoms, memories. Just as a shaman replaces his/her own bones and flesh with the immortal elementals, stone and metal, exchanged for flesh through spiritual deaths and rebirths; so too, must the storyteller achieve a bathos state between eras and cultures.

Storytelling has the power of creating a state of fantasy. This is, in fact, directly related to mythology. If not for fantasy, or the state of awe, mythology would not achieve its aim as a religious system. It is the state of awe which inspires belief, elevates the spirit, and thus, unites a culture under an ideology. The state of awe which releases us from the mundane experience is vital in expressing the deeper truths of heart and soul.

Through fantasy, the storyteller is liberated. The storyteller can take on any number of characters in their presentation and by so doing, offer many alternative perspectives to an issue. At the same time, the storyteller�s personal philosophy and character is somewhat protected from the controversy often present in alternative perspectives. A storyteller can also opt to do a series of stories on the same theme from many different perspectives, each presented by a different character. This liberation offered by role playing can expand both the storyteller�s parameters and the audience�s experience exponentially.

Because of the many ways with which stories have the power to penetrate our psyche, including our subconscious, it makes a valuable tool for teaching. Stories have the ability to express an experience with a wholeness. More so, a story can not be understood in fragments, it must be interpreted as a whole. When we study anatomy, for instance, we dissect dead frogs in order to understand the parts which make up the whole. Yet, I never recall spending a day watching a living frog breathe, eat, sleep, and live. I can still remember, however that its heart has two ventricles. This piece of knowledge is useless to me when contemplating a frog�s existence. Stories, on the other hand, speculate as to the activities which Ribbet entertains herself with, what her songs signify, and why she likes one lily pad over another.

Stories are easier to remember than facts. It seems that this would be rather self evident. Stories spark our attentions, inspire our imaginations, and offer room for interpretations. Creating for the audience an interactive and imaginative learning environment offers for them an incentive to learn the information being presented. Stories also offer a point of relation through the human experience which is valuable in communication.

Many storytellers can use stories as a forum for disseminating information as an alternative to the dominant culture�s folkways or mores. Signifying through story is at the root of many folktales. Examples of this can be found in Gypsy folk tales, Native American folk tales, in Anglo�s folk tales, and in African-American folk tales, to name several. Storytelling, in general, has a tradition which originates from the oral passage of mythology and history vital to culture. Many storytellers of the past kept the religious ideologies of their cultures alive by keeping alive the stories of their gods and heroes, even against opposition. Mythology is the container for a culture�s collective unconscious. Through it, a storyteller is capable of expressing the beliefs and dreams of a culture within the context of an often very simple tale.

In my view, the alternative insights available to us through the wisdoms of other cultures are more then a valuable tool for the evolution of our own culture, they are necessary. A common symptom of our culture�s narrow mindedness is ethnocentrism. Through storytelling, the myths and wisdoms of the world, and of history can be revitalized in order to expand our contemporary philosophies. These mythologies are invaluable in lending insight into philosophies on life and views of the world which might otherwise be lost.

Due to the fact that stories teach through the conscious mind as well as the subconscious, it is crucial to choose the story critically. For instance, our own culture has been inculcated with stories about male heroes and defenseless damsels. Even the neutral gender characters in our animal tales are most often masculine. Yet, approximately half of the audience is bound to be female. It is important to represent the female characters in an empowered state, just as the male heroes are. Gender is only one example of the many ways that stories can signify greater meanings than the context of the story explicitly states. Choose the story carefully. There is an enormous body of mythology which stems from matriarchal times, or from eras when community was cherished highly over individual ambition.

This ramble has gotten rather heady. Stories are, after all, simply an entertaining detour from everyday experience. Pleasure is created by that which is beautiful. Pleasure is also light-hearted, often spontaneous, and unpredictable. Beauty as a force has the power of stirring awe in the observer, therefore heightening the experience and impact of the presentation. Philosophies on aesthetics are various and divergent, but children know what they like. A spectacle either strikes their interest, or it doesn�t. Children have little interest in the philosophy behind the beauty of the spectacle. Children want color, action, imagination, intrigue.

Though certain elements of the presentation should be kept simple, children hate to be insulted by adults talking down to them. Children should be treated as individuals with an intelligence equal to one�s own, yet clearer, with a sentience less congested by the clutter of adult trivialities. Children are as attuned to the human condition as adults believe themselves to be. Beauty is capable of expressing the human condition while holding the audience�s attention by remaining removed from the mundane. We are able to view reality, even in its harshness when it is expressed beautifully. Beautiful images possess the tendency of appearing more real than reality. Beauty is even capable of expressing ugliness. Because we are more likely to be willing to experience something that is beautiful, beauty is capable of drawing the audience into its deeper meanings.

Of course, much of this paper has been fanciful speculation and day dreaming. But one must have desire before one has the ambition to pursue this desire. Storytelling is also an art which emanates from our philosophy, so fanciful speculation is a necessity in composing the head space prior to performance. Through contemplation I have discovered many of the problems and difficulties associated with storytelling. On one level, storytelling as an expression of truth, runs the risk of misguiding. Even if this is unintentional, it can be dangerous. Language is a powerful tool. Stories have the potential of reaching the subconscious and the conscious mind in unpredictable ways. Anything which is open for interpretation runs the risk of being misinterpreted. As an example, I have a story to tell.

There was once a turtle who walked in the grass alongside a road. A young girl walked along this road and as she approached the turtle spoke to her. "I wish I were special. I mean I wish I were something more than I am. But I am just a turtle. I�m clumsy and slow and crawl all around. Now if I were fast or brilliant, or could draw pictures in sand, then I�d be something special. I�d be something more than I am."

So the girl paused and she thought, then she spoke to the turtle. "You know, I�ve got an idea. What if I were to take a stick and put it in your claw. Then I could stretch some strings from it and fasten them to your shell. Then I could play you like a bass in a band." So they tried it out and sure enough it worked great. Not only that, but it sounded quite different from any other instrument ever made.

After a while the kid really learned how to play. People even began to come around to watch her playing away. After all, its not every day that you get to see a kid playing a turtle�s shell bass. Soon enough she played all the time and all the while those vibrations ran all up that turtle�s shell and rattled up that poor turtle�s brain so much that he couldn�t remember his name. Not only that but he forgot that he was a turtle at all and not just a bass. Soon he forgot how to speak, and then how to breathe, and that was his end. But you know, that girl�s still famous to this very day.

Now, I offer this story to illustrate a point. For a long time I had wanted to tell this story to children because I felt it could teach a lesson, not to try and be something that you are not. But after much contemplation I began to feel that there are also too many negative elements in the story for it to be suitable for a young audience. The story could also imply that one should not try to be special, which could have a negative impact.

Also, on a more physical level, storytelling is an unstable career. Storytellers often have difficulty finding work, gaining credibility, and getting paid enough to live off of. Many storytellers must work other jobs to support the careers. This to me, though an obvious distraction from pursuing my dreams, is something I can live with. In this same context, even if one can find a gig or two, it is often difficult to keep the ball rolling. A storyteller who hopes to live off of storytelling alone must be able to line up gigs long in advance and often enough to keep a constant supply of money rolling in. In order to do this a storyteller must have a body of material and resources which can be utilized to satisfy the needs of the instructor or administrator who has hired them. If the storyteller has a regular set it must be flexible enough to be modified to satisfy these same needs. Sometimes a teacher will request mythology, sometimes fiction, sometimes history, sometimes nothing at all. In any of these cases the storyteller must be able to recognize what is demanded and be able to accomplish what is needed. Storytellers must also make acquaintances with potential customers and other storytellers because it is often a word of mouth sort of trade.

Due to the fact that gigs are unpredictable and impossible to count on, I attempted to disburse as many letters as possible. Basically, what I did was to draft a standard letter and a resume. I put together a list of the names and addresses of thirty-five different schools out of the phone book. I called the schools and got the name of the person in charge of setting up activities such as storytellings, and put together a list.

A piece of advice may be helpful when putting together a mailing list. Ask your contact at the school for the correct spelling of the name. People have a natural distaste for mail with an incorrect spelling of their names. I also attempted to distribute the addresses of my mailing list across large areas of the city. It is important for me to offer storytellings for any venue interested, regardless of their financial situation. Therefore, I would be willing to do a story for cheap to nothing for a school which has a lower budget, and for a higher price at schools which can afford to pay this price. In any case, the fee which the storytelling is likely to procure will be less then enough to pay for supplies. Furthermore, with a group of ten, it is unlikely that your fee would be enough to cover a fine dining experience. So what, that is not what it is about. If you are interested in making a buck, go into another field.

To all of these addresses I mailed my letter and resume. In order to be efficient, I left the address and addressee lines blank on the draft and filled this area in by cutting and pasting. The package was arranged as follows.

Cover letter

Resume

As the letter implies, I called all of the people whom I�d mailed letters to a little over a week after mailing. Although I had expected that many of the addressees had simply set the letter aside, I was surprised to find out how many of the contacts had completely forgotten about the letter and had no idea who I was. From this I learned how important the call backs really are.

Many of the contacts thanked me for following up and considered this follow through to be a sign of professionalism. About one half of the contacts were quick to point out that they schedule these sorts of activities in the fall for the entire year and advised me to remail query letters again in August. Many of these contacts sounded promising. As for the other half of the contacts, I was unable to ever reach a portion of them. Some, a very small minority, were simply not interested.

One contact phoned me before I�d ever done the follow through, and was excited to set up a date. This was Mark Overmeier at West Middle School. The performance was scheduled for a little under a month away, on Tuesday April 28th, and so the true task of preparing the performance was underway.

I�ve embarked on an experience in experience. A story is every sensation, every sight and sound and scent. The word is a substance other then experience and story is not word alone. To relay all of the nuances of the story, I have embroidered the tale with triggers for the senses. I hope that the story will be an experience. I want the story to dance for the spectator. I want the audience to become submerged in the atmosphere of the story and I want to swim with them.

Secret Circus Storytelling proudly presents a multimedia theater of music, costumes, masks, and story. We are simple people with incongruous lives who have come together to pull off a fiasco of orchestration. Our world is a world of ornaments and magic. Our world is a whirl of possibilities with shadows. Do you hear gamelon music trickle with echoed counterpoints of chimes?

The Balinese shadow puppet performances enact the dramas of Balinese heroes, deities, and demons through music, masks, shadow puppets, and narration. The performance can last all night and traverse a landscape of history and myth. Often, the storyteller will attempt to choose tales which relate to current social dilemmas.

Shadow puppet temple shows

"The Balinese dalang is often a kind of priest, performing acts of offering and cleansing...The Dalang tells the story, manipulates all the figures, interprets characters and voices for each, and produces sound effects punctuating speech and movement... Mantras are recited before and after the performance. A primary purpose of shadow play is for the dalang to make holy water. The holy water is used for prayer and to bless the area and participants" (Tunas Mekar).

Bali is one of many cultures who are familiar with multi-media storytelling. Musical storytelling is as old as the art of storytelling itself. Both Greek and Celtic storytellers would commonly play string instruments along with their storytellings. In Africa, storytellers known as griots often play one string violins or talking drums when reciting stories. In West Africa, the Lunna, played in combination with the gungon is said to be able to imitate the inflections of the human voice. "A gifted drummer can imitate the human voice and even construct sentences" (Cornelius). Music and story, as I imagine it, derive from the same source. A force which inspired our ancestors to dance around a fire, singing, acting, banging sticks together and laughing.

So, it is not at all unlikely that our group would choose to embellish the story with music along with various other adornments. We do, after all, have to compete with television for our audience�s attention span, which is quick, not short. Quick is good, our lives necessitate quick attention and quick adaptation. Anyway, when all of the embellishment fuses together into a performance, the experience feels satisfying and triggers an enthusiastic response from the audience as well. My hope is that in bringing the story alive with action it will become exciting and meaningful to the audience.

The strangest element to performance is how quick it all happens. You spend time and energy creating and improving a performance which is over in thirty minutes, or an hour, regardless of how it went. The performance could be flawless or it could be a catastrophe, but its over in a flash.

All of the factors do not always come together seamlessly, however. Working with such a large group of people can be trying. Different philosophies, different personality types, different visions are constantly confronted and can often conflict. There is no way to summarize these forces of human interaction, nor to deal with them, at length or at short in this paper. However, these forces are impossible to avoid when undertaking an endeavor such as Secret Circus.

It is important to trust in your partners so as to divide the tasks according to proficiency. With a group of ten people, every member of the group should have a certain element of responsibility, not only so that one individual is not stuck with all the work, but also so that each person can add his/her own personal flare to the elements and thus, feel intimately associated with those elements. In this way, every person becomes, the director of his/her respective element in the performance.

Now, the problem with this form of organizational structure is the risk of lacking synchronicity. Some form of general direction is crucial in turning the isolated parts into a seamless whole. Also, not every member of the group is interested in an equal portion of responsibility. Some members will be satisfied with manual tasks, others with coordinative functions, both are equally necessary for the functional unity of the whole. In that same vain, different personality types feel a varying degree of comfort with various chores. Although some people may feel comfortable acting in front of people, others will prefer to remain in the background and run elements such as the lights or the backdrop. Still others will be interested in making props but be disinterested in performing. In every situation, it is important to allow for the comfort of the group member. Just as in any production, every person feels comfortable in their niche. In general, most of the group members undertake the performance out of a personal interest and enjoy the production because they are in control, and are offered creative freedom in their specific roles. Discomfort arises from pressure.

A few words of advise on the topics of simplicity, discomfort, and pressure. Never bite off more then you can chew. Do not undertake endeavors which you can not find a practical way of accomplishing. Do not create so many props and embellishments that the story gets lost in the spectacle. Multimedia is fascinating and valuable in heightening the experience, but missed cues, flawed performances, and cheap thrills are a distraction. It is best to maintain a philosophy of simplicity, knowing that the story could stand up on its own if you were the only one who could show up. It may even be helpful to foresee performing the story solo as a reminder that the story must remain at the fore. The storytelling is inevitably the responsibility of the storyteller.

A perfect lesson in this arose in our production. After the first performance, the actor who played the role of the berai- berai boys had felt frustrated with that role. The prominent reason he had stated was that during the performance he�d realized that he didn�t feel comfortable acting in front of an audience. Although he had stated initially that he was no longer interested in playing the role, due to some coercion, he was persuaded to try it again.

The problem was not that he was disinterested in being a part of the group. On the contrary, he was more interested in other projects such as shadow puppet making. In my stubbornness I had assumed that the role of the berai- berai needed to be filled by an actor or it would leave a void in the seamlesness. I had tried to find others to play the role, and had asked him when I could find no alternative. He agreed and we proceeded. Several days before the performance he backed out. I decided to play the role of the berai- berai as I told the story and found that playing the part pulled me farther into the story. The shadow puppets ended up working well and were finely crafted. A bitter sweet lesson learned.

In choreographing we found that the orchestration demanded more direction then we had given it. For instance, during the first presentation of this story we simply relied on the manuscript of the story with hand written notes on it for cues. This format was difficult for the actors to interpret and the choreography of applicable moves was abstract and messy. This time, however, I scripted the story in order to clarify much of the stage direction. This helped a great deal, and offered those who were unsure of their roles a clearer understanding.

If you care to, you can read the scripted version of The Makara Sisters.

In accordance with maintaining simplicity, I found several elements very important when designing the props. I chose materials that are cheap and readily accessible. Papier Mache is good for masks. PVC is cheap and practical for all sorts of tasks. Copper and aluminum tubing can be pieced together to create backdrops, stands, and all sorts of props which can be easily folded down and transported in the back of a sedan. Also, bed sheets from the thrift store are a cheap source of fabric for costumes and backdrops. Of course, never underestimate the value of cardboard and wire clothes hangers for versatility and usefulness.

One of the most difficult elements of the set to design was the backdrop. The design of this prop took several revisions in order to work effectively. I am including the technical specifications of our backdrop design to assist any future performer who would like to attempt building a backdrop with a similar design.

20 feet of 3/4" rigid copper tubing Lead free solder and paste

6 3/4" copper tee couplings Propane torch

3 3/4" straight copper couplings Rivets

2 3/4" right angle copper elbows Hammer

20� - 30� of flexible wire or speaker wire

Tube Cutter or hacksaw

Cut four 11/2� lengths of copper tubing

Cut four 3 1/2� lengths of copper tubing

Cut two 4� length of copper tubing

Cut eight 6" lengths of copper tubing

Connect two 11/2� lengths with a copper tee in between them. Make sure that the tee faces up (vertically) as the poles of the backdrop will be supported by these. Solder this together. You now have a 3� long rod with a tee in the middle. Attach one tee on each end of the rod horizontally, and connect the 6" lengths to each end of these tees so that they rest flat on the floor. This will take four 6" lengths and two tees. You will have a foot for the stand which looks like an "I." Solder all of these pieces together.

Now repeat this same procedure again so that you have two feet for the stand. They should be the same size and shape.

Next, choose how tall you want the backdrop to stand. Ours stood about 7� tall. For the sake of mobility, you will use four lengths of copper tubing which will fit together to form two rods. These two rods act as the sides to the backdrop stand. For a 7� tall backdrop, use the 3 1/2� rods which were cut earlier. You will be making one folding rod out of the two parts. Onto one 3 1/2� length for each side of the stand, solder a straight copper coupling. This way it can be broken down and transported and then pieced together for the performance. These rods should fit snugly into the vertical tee at the center of the foot to the stand.

The rod which goes across the top of the stand is made with a similar construction. If the backdrop is approximately eight feet wide then use the two 4� lengths and solder a straight coupling onto one end of one of these 4� lengths. The 8� rod will then be two 4� lengths attached at the center by this straight coupling. On the outer sides of this rod attach the right angle elbow couplings. These couplings should then fit snugly with the side rods of the backdrop stand.

Backdrop-

We had five different scenes depicted in the backdrop. Each of these scenes was drawn on a different sheet. For the first scene we needed all of the sheets rolled up except for the plain white sheet in order to see the shadow puppets through it. The system we devised for the backdrop consisted of sewing all of the sheets together at the top and connecting them to a loop which slid over the copper rod. In each of the sheets I planted two rivets, placed approximately 1/4 of the way in from the outside edge of the sheet and as close to the top of it as possible. I rolled up each sheet individually and tied it up with a string through the rivet. By using this system we were able to leave the white sheet exposed for the beginning of the performance and then each consecutive scene was revealed by untying the string and unrolling the sheet.

For added strength, a wire was connected to the top loop of the backdrop sheet through a rivet. The wire could then be tied to the bottom foot of the stand by running through the copper tube in the back of the "I" shaped foot. The wire was then tied to itself. This was done for both sides of the stand in order to keep the side rods of the stand from bending or leaning forward. This final element was very important for making the stand into a strong, self contained support system.

If all of these instructions are followed correctly, your final backdrop stand will consist of two "I" shaped feet. Two side bars which break down into four rods and one 8� rod which breaks down into two 4� rods. This serves as a bridge between the two sides

and is the support for the fabric sheets which function as the backdrop. This entire system will cost around one hundred dollars. This includes paint and fabric as well as hardware.

The wires which run from the sheet to the feet of the stand are easy to trip over and should be marked by hanging a bright colored fabric from them, or something similar.

Due to the cost of props, it would be wise to establish the status of a non-profit organization early on in the prop making stages. The initial investment is around fifty dollars in processing fees for the paper work. To procure a copy of the paperwork contact the Secretary of State, Corporations Section at 1560 Broadway, Suite 200 in Denver, CO 80202. Their phone number is (303) 894-2251 and their Fax number is (303) 894-2242. Expenses accrued in connection with the storytelling can then be deducted for tax purposes and grants can be sought for sponsorship. I am including a copy of the form in this journal. Saving the receipts from the hardware store for tax purposes is virtually useless if the organization is not established as non-profit first. I plan to keep this in mind when I begin investing in props for the next production.

Although I have focused heavily on schools as a venue for storytelling there are other options which may be worthwhile. Small private and/or community theaters may be an alternative forum.

Another option is radio. Many public radio stations broadcast stories, theatrics, and biographies. KUVO is currently running several biography programs on Sundays. The most recent program "Life-journeys," begins May 17. It is a theatrical production which will chronicle the biographies of many artists. Radio is a forum which invites the fusion of music and story. Many experiments are still untried in this genre, and the field is pregnant with possibilities.

Storytelling is important enough for me to pursue for a lifetime. The potential of storytelling is limitless for teaching, for expressing beauty, and for relating the human experience while entertaining. I am fully aware and constantly enlightened (reminded) of the painstaking dedication that the path of storytelling requires, especially when trying to coordinate and maintain a group. Yet, along with the work comes a sense of purpose and meaning. A storyteller receives the personal reward of affecting an audience, which to me is far more valuable than money. Storytelling offers its initiates an alternative lifestyle along with an opportunity to alter the system while working within it. Keeping all of this in mind, I remember the exhilaration our troop experienced when a crowd of elementary school students rushed the stage and showered us with our own confetti. That is priceless.

 Sasha Gorelik

Secret Circus Storytelling

May 13, 1998

Bowles, Brad. Personal interview. March 12, 1998.

Cornelius, Steven. "The African Connection." The Blade. Toledo, Ohio,

16 June 1996: music.

Tunas Mekar. Sponsored in part by the DU Lamont School of Music. Quote obtained from a flyer distributed during a performance of the Balinese shadow play Kumbhakarn Lina: The Death of Kumbhakarna on April 17, 1998 at Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Theater. I am including a copy of the relevant information in case you are interested.