In its observation of America’s 250th Anniversary, the Greensboro Opera House is presenting “Twice-Told Tales: A Season of Storytelling,” which celebrates the art of storytelling and its rich tradition in our community by encouraging local storytellers and by preserving and adding to the stories that have enriched our lives. We invite you to join us in this celebration.
On the weekend of August 15-16, the Opera House will hold a storytelling workshop conducted by renowned professional storyteller Dolores Hydock. This will consist of two events: a workshop for 20 storytellers on Saturday, August 15, followed the next afternoon, Sunday, August 16, at 3:00, by a special workshop presentation at which Hydock and workshop participants will have a chance to share stories with the public.
The workshop itself, however, will be limited to 20 participants in order to allow each person time to work on his or her story. Workshop participants should come prepared with an idea of a story they would like to tell the following day, not a finished story, but the idea or outline of a story.
The story can highlight something about Greensboro’s rich history, or it can feature people or events from either the town’s history or the storyteller’s personal history.
This very brief workshop is geared to both polished raconteurs and aspiring storytellers, giving them an opportunity to share their stories. The workshop will introduce some ideas about content, crafting, and presentation which the participants can then continue to develop in their own way.
The Opera House is delighted to have Dolores Hydock here for this event.
Dolores has been telling prize-winning stories since she was five years old, and she has continued since then to tell stories at festivals and special events throughout the United States.
She has been featured “teller” at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tennessee, has served as Teller-in-Residence at the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough, has collaborated with the Birmingham Museum of Art and multiple symphony orchestras to blend stories with art and music, and is the 2023 recipient of the ORACLE Circle of Excellence Award from the National Storytelling Network.
Dolores has conducted storytelling workshops at festivals and universities across the country.
Saturday’s workshop runs from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and, after a break, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Preregister by contacting Buzzy Barnette (624-6878) or texting Winnie Cobbs (507-7350).
There will be a $20 charge for the workshop to cover refreshments and supplies. Sunday’s presentation at 3:00 is open to the public with free admission, and a reception will follow.
The storytelling workshop will be followed on Sunday, September 13, by “Thrice-Told Tales from the Past,” a locally written, locally presented, and locally performed play which will be an over-the-top, hilarious dramatization of some of the community’s most memorable tales from the past.
The Greensboro Opera House is grateful for a grant provided by the Alabama State Council on the Arts which has in part made possible this Season of Storytelling.
