Hendersonville Speech & Debate

Storytelling

Event Description:

Students select a published story that meets a specified theme and perform the story for no more than 8 minutes. Storytelling themes range widely and may include mysteries, heroism, or fairy tales. Students select a story that would be appropriate for young children and tell the story as if presenting to that audience. Students may use a chair. Manuscripts are not permitted.

Considerations for Storytelling:

Students in Storytelling select material based upon the theme and the audience. Children’s books are commonly chosen as material. Students can also look for collections of stories on various themes. Considerations for an appropriate piece include the student’s personality, physical and vocal performance range, and school standards

Successful Traits:

When considering what event you should choose, or which direction to point a student when selecting an event, here are some traits of successful Storytelling students to keep in mind: • Animated • Outgoing • High energy.

Captivating
Enjoys performing
Confident
Engages an audience
Enjoys working with children

Basic Understanding:

Storytelling consists of sharing a story with an audience, performed as if the audience were a group of young children. The story must meet the theme of the tournament and not exceed five minutes. Students may use a full range of movement to express themselves and may incorporate a chair in a variety of different ways. Students may be seated but most commonly performers use a full range of stage space available to them. As there are so many different types of stories that can be performed, it is important to observe rounds to see what other students and teams are using. The Association has final rounds of Storytelling from both the high school and middle school level to review. Local and regional tournaments may vary in the selection of stories performed.

Research:

Storytelling research involves going to libraries and bookstores and enjoying their vast collections of children’s books. Keep in mind that five minutes includes an introduction. Thus, the story must be fully conveyed in a very limited frame of time. Students should choose stories that are not only fun but have a story with sufficient plot and character development to keep the audience entertained and engaged. Often one of the most difficult tasks is finding a piece that fits the theme. Before going to the bookstore or library, take a moment to look for lists of stories online. A simple Google keyword search will net many results. Students may also want to go to sources such as Amazon that provide recommendations on related books to get some additional ideas. Another strategy is to search by author instead of themes or titles of specific pieces. Children’s authors typically produce a large volume of work. By choosing favorite authors and writing styles, students can narrow their choices considerably. Many children’s books become part of a larger series. By looking to online reviews or summaries, students can quickly find out what themes emerge from an entire set of books. Finally, keep in mind that many children’s stories are produced by more than one individual, such as an illustrator. Be sure to search for the names of all major contributors when doing your research.

Structural Components:

TEASER •

0:00 – 0:30
- Previews the story, characters, and style of the selected literature.

INTRO

0:30 – 1:00
- The student, in his/her own words, discusses the literature. Must be memorized and include the title and author.

EXPOSITION & INCITING INCIDENT

1:00 – 3:30
- Engages the audience in character, setting, and theme. Sends the conflict into motion.

RISING ACTION & CLIMAX

3:30 – 5:15
- Complicates the conflict. Creates emotional peak of the performance.

FALLING ACTION & RESOLUTION

5:15 – 8:00
- Resolves the conflict . Concludes the story.

Organization:

Students should map out all of the activities of the story. This outline provides a snapshot of what takes place and allows for easy review when deciding what to cut or keep in the performance. In addition to maintaining any major plot points in the story, students will want to select the funniest and most dramatic parts of the storyline to draw in the audience. Students can then choose the most relevant sections of the story and include those in the master manuscript. Once you have your cutting, take the time to “beat out” your manuscript. This means reading the script aloud and making notes as you go. As you read aloud, use symbols to indicate shorter pauses “/” or longer pauses “//.” Consider the emotional qualities behind each line. Consider how the lines affect your verbal and nonverbal communication.

Practicing:

As Storytelling must be memorized, the first step after cutting and analyzing your piece is to memorize it. As it is a short event with simplified language, many competitors might find that memorizing a story is very easy. Other students struggle to memorize even short performances. The more time you practice memorizing, the better you become. The more cues that you can give your brain to aid memorization the better. Sitting down staring at a script, re-reading the lines in your head, will not be beneficial. Memorize the story with the intent to perform it.

Performance Tips:

It may sound cliché, but confidence is key! If you’ve put the legwork in, you should feel confident in the product you’ve created. Walk into that round with your head held high, ready to show the world what you’ve got! Trust what you and your coach created. Do what you practiced, and if you feel compelled to “try something new,” review it with your coach beforehand. Consistency is key. It’s hard to evaluate what to change in practice if your performance in the round is completely different than what you’ve been working on. Pay attention to other performers. Smile! Be a warm, inviting audience member.