from Mr. DiDonna
Traditionally, human beings have linked their generational histories and mythologies through an oral tradition wherein an entire narrative was committed to memory and spoken aloud before a live audience. Of course, this was long before the development of written language, and later, the technological advent of printing. But prior to that, the story teller was both priest and entertainer.
These individuals achieved a level of prominence in their societies that paralleled stardom, if not outright royalty. Just imagine that select people were given the responsibility of not only memorizing word for word the great myths of their cultural and social history, but they were also trained in the skill of delivering these narratives dramatically. In terms of humans preserving and sustaining a cultural heritage as a race, this is as “original” as it gets.
On October 11th, a nationally recognized master story teller named Michaela Murphy will be presenting her craft of storytelling at our school. Ms. Murphy is the Director of Education at the Bucks County Playhouse, in Pennsylvania, and she will be making the trek north to share her inspiration and invite us to learn how this mysterious tradition can be practiced by each of us.
This is a wonderful opportunity for all students who are interested in writing or acting to get a taste of a skill that has become foreign to most of us. Whether you’re a senior working on a college narrative essay, or a poet who wants to perform in the Poetry Slam here at school, or simply a student who is passionate about learning how to write well, Ms. Murphy will be offering break out groups after her assembly to students interested in participating.
Sign-ups will begin soon, so please see your English teacher, or me, Mr. DiDonna for details on how to register. Opportunities like this don’t happen often, so please exercise your right to learn!
Find out more at https://themoth.org/storytellers/michaela-murphy