Monthly Workshop Schedule 2026
Explore the Art of Storytelling each month with hands-on workshops designed to strengthen your storytelling skills and deepen your understanding of the craft. Below is a calendar of topics for the year, with dates, times, locations, and RSVP links for each session.
This calendar will provide participants with a structured and engaging approach to mastering various storytelling skills throughout the year. Each session offers unique insights and hands-on practice to help you become a more skilled and confident storyteller.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Monthly Workshops
January Workshop: Long Tales
Date: Thursday, January 22, 2026
Presenter: David Thompson
Location: Zoom https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/QEXjJyGWRTeL3cDu9VV3xg
Description:
Dive deep into the structure, memorization, and performance techniques required for telling stories that span more than 20 minutes. Learn to keep your audience engaged from start to finish.
Learning Objectives:
Analyze story structure and plot pacing for narratives exceeding 20 minutes.
Develop effective memory techniques for recalling long-form content.
Practice varying vocal dynamics and character voices to sustain audience engagement.
Identify and utilize transitional devices for moving smoothly between story segments.
February Workshop: Storytelling activities: Playtime to build your skill set
Date: Thursday, February 26, 2026
Presenter: Dr. Hank Roubicek
Location: Zoom https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/uGJScZU0TVCN_du5arlTjg
Description: Designed primarily but not exclusively for those who train, teach, and lead workshops in storytelling for any demographic. Also, an essential masterclass for anyone looking for guided practice on storytelling principles and methods. The exercises demonstrated in this class are a curated collection inspired by communication/storytelling research and have been implemented by many educators and trainers with great success. This class is interactive and will include a comprehensive handout containing exercises complete with objectives, instructions, and discussion questions. Student critique samples and assignments will also be included.
Learning Objectives:
1. Participants will experience new methods for assessing and improving storytelling principles by contributing actively to class activities.
2. Participants will debrief the importance of the exercises by probing unique discussion questions.
3. Participants will review a list of specific objectives intended for each exercise to ensure clarity and focus.
4. Participants will enjoy a variety of storytelling “drills” to help freshen their own set of skills and/or for those in their own classes and workshops.
March Workshop: Historical Stories
Date: Thursday, March 26, 2026
Presenter: Tony Hardman
Location: Zoom https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/QEXjJyGWRTeL3cDu9VV3xg
Description:
Discover how to transform facts, dates, and historical events into compelling, personal narratives. Learn to research and weave historical accuracy with engaging storytelling.
Learning Objectives:
Integrate historical facts and detailed research seamlessly into a compelling narrative arc.
Learn to personify historical figures to create emotional relevance and relatability.
Develop research strategies for authenticating and utilizing complex historical details.
Structure a story that effectively moves from broad historical context to a specific, focused event.
April Workshop: Trickster Tales
Date: Thursday, April 23, 2026
Presenter: TBA
Location: Zoom https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/QEXjJyGWRTeL3cDu9VV3xg
Description:
A playful workshop focused on the mischievous characters and clever plots of Trickster Tales from around the globe. Learn timing, voice, and physical comedy to bring these stories to life.
Learning Objectives:
Master the comedic timing and development of suspense required for classic trickster plots.
Develop distinct vocal and physical characterizations for the trickster and their foil.
Analyze the moral and social commentary often embedded in trickster narratives.
Incorporate calculated audience interaction to enhance the trickster's playful and mischievous energy.
May Workshop: Adapting Fairy Tales
Date: Thursday, May 28, 2026
Presenter: Debbie Waddell
Location: Zoom https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/QEXjJyGWRTeL3cDu9VV3xg
Description:
Join Debbie Waddell to learn techniques for taking classic fairy tales and giving them your own unique spin. We will cover modernization, character deep-diving, and thematic interpretation.
Learning Objectives:
Deconstruct classic fairy tales to identify their core themes, plot points, and archetypes.
Apply various adaptation strategies, such as modernization, localization, or shifting perspective.
Create a clear, distinctive storyteller's voice that is separate from the original textual tone.
Reimagine traditional, sometimes problematic, endings to create contemporary relevance.
June Workshop: Adapting Literature
Date: Thursday, June 25, 2026
Presenter: Sue Kuentz
Location: Zoom https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/QEXjJyGWRTeL3cDu9VV3xg
Description:
This class focuses on turning prose, poetry, and short stories into captivating oral narratives. Learn what to keep, what to cut, and how to maintain the spirit of the original work.
Learning Objectives:
Select appropriate literary passages for conversion into a focused oral performance adaptation.
Condense complex literary works while preserving the author's narrative voice and essential plot.
Utilize textual language (dialect, imagery) effectively for heightened dramatic impact in performance.
Develop techniques for transitioning smoothly between direct dialogue, internal thought, and narration.
July Workshop: Ghost Stories & Urban Legends
Date: Thursday, July 23, 2026
Presenter: Tony Hardman
Location: Zoom https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/QEXjJyGWRTeL3cDu9VV3xg
Description:
Master the art of suspense and terror with Tony Hardman. We will explore techniques for building tension, using vocal texture, and delivering a chilling and memorable performance.
Learning Objectives:
Build and control narrative tension using effective pacing, silence, and misdirection.
Employ vocal techniques, such as whispers and sharp inflections, to maximize fear and surprise.
Analyze the psychological impact of specific frightening imagery and narrative structure.
Develop a distinctive, credible persona for delivering scary stories that grounds the unbelievable elements.
August Workshop: Tall Tales and Liars Stories
Date: Thursday, August 27, 2026
Presenter: Gary Whitaker
Location: Zoom https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/QEXjJyGWRTeL3cDu9VV3xg
Description:
Celebrate exaggeration and inventive fiction! Learn how to spin a completely unbelievable yarn with a straight face, focusing on comedic timing and building to a magnificent punchline.
Learning Objectives:
Master the art of comedic exaggeration and effective understatement in narrative.
Develop a believable, grounded persona that contrasts with the unbelievable content of the tale.
Practice improvisational techniques to respond to audience skepticism or interjections.
Structure a story to peak with a surprising, yet comedically inevitable, conclusion.
September Workshop: Myths and Fables
Date: Thursday, September 24, 2026
Presenter: Pam Pipkin
Location: Zoom https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/QEXjJyGWRTeL3cDu9VV3xg
Description:
With Pam Pipkin, explore the foundational stories of civilization. Learn to interpret and tell complex myths and simple fables, focusing on their moral and philosophical significance.
Learning Objectives:
Differentiate between the structural elements and functions of myths, legends, and fables.
Identify and articulate the universal moral or philosophical truth in an ancient story.
Learn methods for making epic, larger-than-life characters and deities relatable to a contemporary audience.
Explore ways to ritualize the telling of foundational stories to enhance their cultural weight.
October Workshop: Holiday Stories
Date: Thursday, October 22, 2026
Presenter: TBA
Location: Zoom https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/QEXjJyGWRTeL3cDu9VV3xg
Description:
Prepare your repertoire for the holiday season! This workshop focuses on selecting and crafting stories for celebratory occasions, including seasonal, religious, and family traditions.
Learning Objectives:
Curate a versatile repertoire of stories suitable for a variety of holiday settings and celebrations.
Adapt personal family anecdotes and memories into structured, engaging holiday narratives.
Focus on storytelling themes of gratitude, renewal, and shared tradition and light.
Learn techniques for successfully engaging diverse and multigenerational holiday audiences.
November Workshop: Tentative
Date: The fourth Thursday is November 26, 2026 (Thanksgiving Day). Please check back for a possible earlier date.
Possible Topic: Experimental Storytelling
Presenter: TBA
Location: Zoom https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/QEXjJyGWRTeL3cDu9VV3xg
Description:
(Note: If we reschedule for an earlier date in November) Explore non-traditional formats, including storytelling with found objects, sound effects, audience participation, or abstract, non-linear narratives.
Learning Objectives:
Develop a narrative using non-traditional tools, such as music, lighting, or physical objects.
Explore abstract storytelling methods beyond conventional linear plot structures.
Integrate movement and physical theatre into a spoken word performance.
Analyze the works of avant-garde storytellers to inspire new performance concepts.
December Workshop: Tentative
Date: The fourth Thursday is December 24, 2026 (Christmas Eve). Please check back for a possible earlier date.
Possible Topic: Legends
Presenter: TBA
Location: Zoom https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/QEXjJyGWRTeL3cDu9VV3xg
Description:
(Note: If we reschedule for an earlier date in December) Delve into the legends of heroes, local folklore, and historic figures. Learn how to tell a story that feels both epic and true.
Learning Objectives:
Research and verify the historical or geographical roots of a local or national legend.
Analyze the function of legends in maintaining community identity and cultural values.
Apply dramatic staging and vocal gravitas suited for heroic and epic narratives.
Distinguish between a historical figure and their elevated, legendary persona.