In April, I performed a story at Salon Saloon. My friend Andy is the host and through him I met Colin (not my brother, doy), one of the big brains behind Solutions Twin Cities.
I love knowing people that are doing shit.
Anyway, I was honored Andy asked me to perform and I must have made an impression (maybe because the noisy bar STFU when I told my story. I don't get it either, but it was amazing) because I have been invited as a storyteller to present at Solutions' new monthly event at Intermedia Arts, Give & Take. I think I will be presenting in August - details TBD.
I'm not sure what the theme will be, but I know on what I want to present: Autobiographical Storytelling.
I think my mother has finally come to accept that her daughter is a bit of an exhibitionist. "I don't know how you can tell a story about [pooping my pants, being sexually attracted to my cousin, getting caught stealing, etc]." In all my years of performance, I have found a love for autobiographical storytelling because not only do I love to tell stories about my life and my experiences (take that as egotistical if you will), but I love the reactions I receive after telling an especially poignant story: "That's happened to me!" I love knowing that I have told someone else's story through my own.
During my first Fringe tour in 2006, I received my first bad review: a one-star-rated chastising by a dissatisfied audience member who claimed my first solo show ever, Normal-C, was (something like) "the most self-indulgent" piece of turd he ever saw. Obviously this affected me because three years later I still remember it, but I recognize that not everyone will see the value in your art. But in response to the self-indulgence comment - I had a woman approach me at the closing night party and tell me that my show changed her life because my approach to the way I looked at myself made her reassess her own perspective. This is one of the powers of autobiographical storytelling.
I talk about me because it's what I know. And there's nothing I haven't felt or done that isn't representative of the actuality or pure potentiality of the universal human experience.
There is more expounding to be done, but I will save it for Give & Take. If I can't see you there, maybe there'll be a video or something. I'll definitely make one of my minions, I MEAN, friends Twitter the spit outta it.
BTW - I found this article when googling "Autobiographical Storytelling." This lady is talking about Biographical Storytelling. In AS, you don't need to do research further than your own memories. The character you play is YOU. Doy. Am I wrong? I mean, I'm not the one with a PhD here. As in Phucking Dumb. I'm just kidding, but for some reason I just had to make that lame joke. HAD TO.
Autobiographical storytelling rules. I feel like most playwriting is putting little pieces of different facets of the writer into all the characters of the play, and when the story is told in first person in a truly thoughtful manner it's great theater, whether it's humorous or dramatic, it's always revealing and brave.
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